


Tunnels To Truth

by Starshadow_Moon



Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: Alien Culture, Alternate Universe, Angst, Drama, F/F, F/M, M/M, Multi, Polyamory, Polygamy, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2006-04-30
Updated: 2015-12-19
Packaged: 2017-10-23 23:33:13
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 34,113
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/256324
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Starshadow_Moon/pseuds/Starshadow_Moon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There's some trouble among the Tok'ra. Sam goes to help them out. She leaves behind an ultimatum: "I might not return". As Sam learns the ways of the <i>ye ket matrinar</i>, she travels the tunnels to truth - and an old friend of hers may join her on the journey!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Home At Cheyenne

**Author's Note:**

> Season Eight, after the Tok'ra Alliance fell. In this universe, Divide and Conquer happened, but Martouf/Lantash was not the Za'tarc. _Spoilers_ : Anything with the Tok'ra, slight references to _Last Stand_ and _Allegiance_.
> 
> Disclaimer: The characters aren't mine. The Stargate isn't mine. The original characters Remika/Kakika, Hestaira/Jiyayna and Kalentri are mine. The story and plot is mine. Keep your hands off of it! ;)

Major Samantha Carter of SG-1 sighed and turned off her microscope. She looked at the alien device that was currently in bits and pieces all over her lab table. It was a Goa'uld healing device. SG-6 had discovered a treasure trove of Goa'uld devices on PX7-576 three days ago, including several Goa'uld healing devices. Sam had been overjoyed at the discovery; it meant that the Stargate Command could afford to permit her to take apart one of the healing devices, since they now had more than ten of the devices in their hands.

Sam had longed, since she first laid eyes on a Goa'uld healing device, to be able to explore the innards of such a device. The desire to understand the healing devices had increased exponentially after Sam had been blended with a Tok'ra called Jolinar of Malkshur. The blending had left Sam with naquada in her bloodstream, enabling her to operate many Goa'uld devices, even long after Jolinar had died. The healing device was one of the few devices that Sam actually wanted to learn how to operate, since the device was capable of far more healing wonders than the common medicine of the Tau’ri.

At the moment, Sam was trying to figure out why so many Goa'uld devices required the users to have naquada in their bloodstream in order to operate them, and she wasn't having much success. She reached up to rub some serious cricks in her neck; she'd been at the project for more than six hours now. A knock at the doorway to her lab shook Sam out of her reveries. She looked up to see that it was Daniel Jackson at the door. She smiled at the archaeologist, who also happened to be a fellow teammate on SG-1, and one of Sam's best friends. "What's up, Daniel?" she asked.

Daniel grinned and remarked, "Doesn't look like you've made much progress on that..." he trailed off, seeing the troubled look on Sam's face.

"Well, I now know how half of this thing works, but I still can't figure out why most devices like this require naquada in the bloodstream, and..." Sam answered, looking back at the exposed heart of the technology, and continued, "... It looks to me as if this thing would work just as well if it had an internal source of naquada, so I'm feeling like I'm missing something, somewhere...." she trailed off.

Daniel looked at Sam and asked, "Well, could it have been a cultural thing? The Goa'uld probably didn't want their slaves to be able to operate a weapon or healing device. I mean, only the Goa'uld - back then, anyway - had naquada in their bloodstream." Daniel had made the correction because today, the Goa'uld weren't the only ones with naquada; the Tok'ra had it too, and so did Sam, having been a Tok’ra host eight long years ago.

Sam appeared to consider the idea. It did fit; the Goa'uld wouldn't want one of their slaves to accidentally activate some Goa'uld technology and realize that the Goa'uld were false gods. Then again, wouldn't the Tok'ra have adjusted the devices? The Tok'ra did have allies that didn't have naquada in their bloodstream! Sam voiced her thoughts to Daniel, "Well, you have a point there, but it still doesn't explain why the Tok'ra didn't adjust the devices, Daniel. They do have allies that don't have naquada in their bloodstream."

Daniel thought about it and suddenly realized something. "Sam, who are the allies of the Tok'ra? I'm sure you can remember a few from Jolinar..."

Sam nodded, "A few. Right now, I can only remember a few allies - mostly the hostworlds; the Skiamans - don't ask me where they are, I don't know. And of course, Earth. The Tollen - but the Tok'ra weren't war allies with Tollana. I know there are more, but I can't remember. What is it?" Daniel's face looked troubled now.

"So before Jolinar brought the Tau’ri to the Tok'ra, they didn't have very many non-naquada-bearing allies? It probably didn't occur to them to adjust the weapons and healing devices," Daniel asked.

"Or they just didn't want to make the technology available?" Sam and Daniel spun around, realizing that the new voice came from their commanding officer and the leader of SG-1, Colonel Jack O'Neill. Daniel nodded, admitting that it was a possibility.

Sam shook her head vigorously. There had to be a third component to the devices; she just wasn't seeing it. Jack sighed and said, "Carter, I know that you don't want to think too badly of the Tok'ra. Gods, I don't know why you don't want to; one of 'em practically threatened the entire SGC, using your body, no less! But we've got to consider the possibility; it's the best situation for the Tok'ra - they get hosts, and their allies get useless technology."

Sam shook her head again. She just knew that there was something that was missing from the equation. She could find the answers in Jolinar's memories, if she tried hard enough. If she was brave enough. The Tok'ra weren't like that; she knew that firsthand from Jolinar's memories. Jolinar's forced blending with Sam was an isolated incident. She also knew that even after eight years of being allies with the Tok'ra, Jack trusted them about as far as he could throw them. Most of that distrust coming from his experiences with the one called Kanan, who had used Jack when he was Kanan's host.

She sighed and said, "Colonel, I know the Tok'ra better than you do. I just have this feeling that I'm missing something, that the equation here isn't complete. If you two will excuse me, I have a lot of work to do here..." She trailed off and indicated the technology scattered across her lab table.

Daniel and Jack knew that she wouldn't speak more on the subject, and took their leave of her.

Sam looked at the bits and pieces of the technology and sighed. Going back to work would be useless at this point; Sam was too tired. She wanted to keep working on it, but... she was just too tired. _Maybe if I go and_ kel'no'mati, _the answers will come. They have before,_ Sam thought. _Kel'no'mati_ was a form of _kel'no'reem_ used by the Tok'ra. It combined sleep and meditation. She nodded, pleased with her decision, and started cleaning up her lab. When she was done, she would go home and _kel'no'mati_.

* * *

 _A hundred Tok'ra milled around her. Sam was running through the crystal tunnels, trying to escape the Jaffa that were hunting her people mercilessly, dodging the staff weapon blasts. She looked back and almost screamed; one of the Tok'ra, her friend, Amiroa, was shot down by a Jaffa. She resolutely turned her head to face the way before her and her duty. Jaffa staff blasts continued to hit the crystals beside her and leave her ears ringing._

Sam woke up, breathing heavily. It had seemed so real... then again, it was. It was a memory from Jolinar's past. She sighed. They were happening so much more often now. She reached over to her nightstand, grabbed a cup of water, and drank it all. That was better; back to sleep now. She leaned back into her pillows and closed her eyes, once more entering _kel'no'mati_.

 _A hundred Tok'ra milled around her. Sam was running through the crystal tunnels, trying to escape the Jaffa that were hunting her people mercilessly, dodging the staff weapon blasts. She looked back and almost screamed; one of the Tok'ra, her friend, Amiroa, was shot down by a Jaffa. She resolutely turned her head to face the way before her and her duty. Jaffa staff blasts continued to hit the crystals beside her and leave her ears ringing._

Sam woke up screaming. _Not again, not again!_ thought Sam. She sighed, changed positions on her bed, and settled down to once again _kel'no'mati_. Sam thought, _I hope that I don't get that dream again!_

 _A hundred Tok'ra milled around her. Sam was running through the crystal tunnels, trying to escape the Jaffa that were hunting her people mercilessly, dodging the staff weapon blasts. She looked back and almost screamed; one of the Tok'ra, her friend, Amiroa, was shot down by a Jaffa. She resolutely turned her head to face the way before her and her duty. Jaffa staff blasts continued to hit the crystals beside her and leave her ears ringing._

Sam woke up, sweating and screaming. She looked around and realized that she was at home, safe. And that she had just had the same dream for the third time in a single night. She groaned. She knew that she wasn't going to get any more sleep tonight, _kel'no'mati_ or not!

Suddenly, she heard whispering in her head. Instinctively, she knew that it was her other half, Jolinar, speaking. _Jaffa, Goa'uld, Tok'ra. Jaffa, Goa'uld, Tok'ra. Jaffa, Goa'uld, Tok'ra. Jaffa, Goa'uld, Tok'ra!_ Why was she repeating that phrase over and over? Unless... unless there was a clue in there, somewhere?

Jaffa?

Goa'uld?

Tok'ra?

What was the commonality? They all had naquada.

What was the difference? Jaffa... Jaffa carried their symbiotes in their belly pouches. Goa'ulds and Tok'ra carried theirs in their neck, directly tied to their...

Directly tied.

That was it! Jaffa couldn't use Goa'uld weaponry because they didn't have active symbiotes! The Goa'ulds and Tok'ra had active symbiotes who were directly tied into their nerve system and caused large-scale biochemistry changes.

What if...the key to the control of naquada-powered technology was in the biochemistry of the host?

Sam threw off the blanket, hastily got dressed, and hopped on her motorcycle, eager to get back to the SGC for more testing on this new idea.

* * *

 _Five days later_

Sam smiled brightly at Dr. Janet Fraiser. Janet was the CMO (Chief Medical Officer) of the Stargate Command complex, and a very close friend of Sam's. She was helping Sam run some tests. "Sam, you were right. Naquada crystals from the healing devices reacts to the presence of several chemicals in your blood. Normal humans can't control naquada-based devices because our bodies don't produce these specific chemicals."

Sam nodded and replied, "Yeah. The symbiotes, upon blending or taking, must alter the hosts' bodies so that these chemicals are produced, like the way that Jolinar changed me when she blended with me."

Janet nodded and looked at Sam. At first, she had thought it was unusual that Sam referred to her experience with Jolinar as a blending, since Jolinar had taken Sam by force. When she'd asked Sam about it, Sam had replied that because Jolinar had used the Tok'ra way of melding with a host, _tikoa_ , rather than the Goa'uld way, _koakti_ , the experience that Sam underwent was a blending, not a taking. Besides, Sam had said, Jolinar had left her memories with Sam, and because of that, Sam felt pretty close to Jolinar and the other Tok'ra. She didn't want to insult them by calling her melding with Jolinar as a "taking". One way or the other, Sam wasn't disturbed by the fact that she was a Tau’ri-Tok'ra hybrid now, so Janet left it at that.

Janet asked, "Sam, do you think that maybe each of these chemicals controls a different weapon or device?"

"Perhaps. These are naquada crystals from a healing device. Let me go get naquada crystals from the ribbon device, so we can test these against those chemicals."

"Ok. I'll set up another testing medium."

Sam nodded to Janet and walked out of the lab, heading towards the weapons locker, while Janet shifted her attention to a new petri dish.

* * *

SG-1 and Dr. Fraiser were seated around the oblong table that served as the conference table for mission briefings, with General George Hammond at the head of the table. "Major Carter, Dr. Fraiser, it's your floor," Hammond said, turning over the meeting to Major Carter and Dr. Fraiser.

"Thank you, sir," replied Sam, "We figured out why humans can't control the naquada-based weapons..."

Jack interrupted, "We knew that us mere non-snakes couldn't use the things already, Carter."

Sam sighed, and said, "Yes, sir, however, we didn't know _why_. With the help of Dr. Fraiser, we solved the mystery."

Dr. Fraiser piped up, saying, "Major Carter came to me twelve days ago, with the suggestion that the biochemical differences in Goa'uld and Tok'ra hosts could be the key to controlling the naquada-based technology, such as the ribbon device and the healing device. Over the course of the past twelve days, tests carried out by Major Carter and myself revealed that certain biochemicals react to certain naquada crystals. One set of biochemicals is required to drive the healing device, another set is required to drive the ribbon device, and so on. It may partially explain why hosts' biochemistry are changed upon taking and/or blending by the symbiote, on purpose."

Sam took over the discussion again. "The significance of all this, sirs, is that it is now possible to try to create a device which will allow normal humans to operate these kinds of devices." Pointing to the ribbon device, Sam continued, "For instance, since we know which chemicals make this work, we can try to build a device that contains the chemicals, and has some kind of interface so that the human user can release the chemicals in the proper sequence." She stopped talking to let the information sink in for a moment.

She opened her mouth to continue when the klaxons went off.

"Unauthorized Incoming Wormhole! Unauthorized Incoming Wormhole!" blared out of the base's speakers on every level of the 28-level SGC.

General Hammond and SG-1 flew out of their seats and headed for the SGC Control Room.

Sergeant Davis was manning the dialing computer and said, "Incoming IDC code. It's the Tok'ra."

Hammond commanded, "Open the Iris!"

As SG-1 looked on, three figures walked out of the shimmering horizon of the wormhole. It was indeed the Tok'ra, as evidenced by Major Carter's rapid departure to the Gate Room to greet her father, Jacob Carter/Selmak of the Tok'ra.

Jacob/Selmak, Martouf/Lantash, and Kalentri/Malek walked down to the base of the ramp and stopped. Jacob smiled broadly at the sight of his daughter approaching at a rapid pace. He’d missed her so much.

Lantash, standing behind Jacob, suddenly acquired a sparkle to his eyes that was not usually present; a result directly caused by Samantha’s appearance. He gazed at her and smiled in appreciation of her nearness. Malek saw his companion smile, turned his head to follow Lantash’s gaze, and realized the reason for Lantash’s expression. Malek smirked, filing this tidbit away in his mind for later use. He loved to tease Lantash, who was usually unflappable about such things.

"Dad! It's good to see you!" Sam hugged her father hard. "It's been months since I last saw you, how are you two?"

Jacob laughed and hugged Sam back. "Oh, it's good to see my girl again. We're fine, as wise as ever."

Sam chuckled, remembering the first time that Jacob had come to Earth as a blended being. "I bet, Dad." She moved back a bit and placed her hands on her father's arms, squeezing slightly. Jacob reciprocated the gesture.

Jacob's eyes glowed, and Sam knew that she was talking to her father's symbiote, Selmak, now. "We are well, Samantha. Jacob has missed you greatly. How are you faring?"

Sam smiled. "Just fine, Selmak. Nothing too big's been going on, aside from a couple of new planets." Sam looked at the other two figures, and smiling, said, "Martouf, Malek. Welcome back to Earth."

Kalentri/Malek smiled at her and inclined his head towards her. "Thank you, Samantha."

Martouf/Lantash blinked, suddenly startled out of their admiration of Samantha, and inclined his head slightly towards her. It was Martouf who spoke, "It is good to see you once again. May I assume that you have been well?"

"Yes, Martouf. Nobody shot at me last week, anyway. How are you?" Sam asked Martouf.

He blinked. This was her idea of being well? Mentally, he shook his head. Tau’ri. "I am well, Samantha. Thank you for asking. I am curious, have you progressed in your study of –"

"As much as I know you would wish to speak with Samantha, we have a mission to carry out, Martouf," interrupted Malek. He was enjoying the discussion between Martouf and Samantha, but they had come here on an important mission.

Martouf sighed, "Malek is right. We have come here on an urgent mission."

Sam blinked and mentally sighed. She was enjoying the conversation with Martouf and didn’t want it interrupted. "So, what brings you here, then?"

Selmak sighed, "It is, as you say, a long story."

"Jacob. It's good to see you." General Hammond had decided that Sam had had enough socializing, and that it was time for him to greet his old friend.

Selmak turned his head and glowed his eyes again, letting Hammond know that he was surrendering control to Jacob. "George. Good to see you again. Listen, I hate to hurry things along, but..."

"Understood. Let's go to the conference room."

"Actually, this involves only Sam. I'd like a chance to speak with her in private, George."

General Hammond looked at Jacob evenly, then said, "Okay. You got fifteen minutes, you can use the conference room."

"Thanks, George. Sam, shall we?" Sam looked at her father with a confused look on her face, but complied.

Jacob took Sam’s arm and guided her to the conference room. Upon entering the room, Jacob took a seat in one of the chairs and sighed. Sam walked around him and took the chair nearest to her father, noting that Martouf and Malek had taken chairs across from them, having accompanied them to the room. "Dad, what’s going on?"

Jacob looked at her, and then said, "Niat, Sammi. Ehr ryiet Tok’ra." _No, Sammi. We must speak Tok’ra here._

Sam blinked, even more confused, then nodded, "Mat, senta gali?" _Okay, but why?_ She looked at Martouf and Malek, and saw undisguised shock on their faces. She realized the reason for the shock quickly, thinking, _Right. They don’t know that I know the Tok’ra language. Some way to find out!_

"Sammi, harti baa entri. Ketri Tau’ri may-he." _Sammi, the Tau’ri can not know what I am about to say._ Sam inwardly gulped - this had to be big, if her dad was saying that! She only nodded in response.

Jacob, seeing that she had agreed to keep the information under wraps, continued speaking. "Hali, ket ye, laki met ahri-mat..."

* * *

Twenty minutes later, General Hammond and the rest of SG-1 walked into the conference room. They stopped, taking in the scene that they were seeing. Sam was sitting next to her father, and she had a look on her face that said clearly to anyone in the room that she had just recieved unsettling news. Martouf and Malek looked distinctly uncomfortable, and they were also glaring at the Tau’ri; apparently the conversation was not finished. When Jacob turned around to see who had intruded, his face was neutral. Jacob saw George, and asked, “George. Look, can we have a bit more time alone? I wasn’t finished -”

“No need, Dad. I’ll think on it, okay?” Sam interrupted, not wanting to irritate her Commanding Officer.

Jacob looked back at Sam and murmured, “Met ake. Hei-ru ma-ke ein’tru.” _Think fast. We leave in a few hours._

Sam nodded, acknowledging the time limit.

Jack, having had it up to his neck with Tok’ra secrets, thundered at Jacob, “Jacob! What, more secrets? What’s going on?!”

"Jack, would you calm down? Maybe..." Daniel tried to calm down Jack, but was cut off by a Tok'ra.

“I can’t tell you, Jack, by order of the Council,” replied Jacob.

Jack glared at Jacob, then replied, “Fine. Major Carter, I’m ordering you to tell me what is going on!”

Sam turned to look at her commanding officer, and shook her head. “I can’t, Colonel.”

“That’s an order, Major!”

She shook her head again.

Daniel tried again, as was in his nature, to settle things down. "Sam, you have to admit, all this secrecy is a bit strange. Maybe if you explained it just a little bit..."

Sam shook her head adamantly. The Tau’ri were not going to get Tok'ra secrets out of her! "I'm sorry, Daniel."

Daniel sighed. Jack glared at the Tok'ra and turned to Sam, asking, "Carter, why won't you just tell us what's going on here? For Chrissakes, I -"

General Hammond interjected, “Major, does this have anything to do with us?”

“No, sir.”

“You’re sure?”

“Yes, sir. It’s a Tok’ra thing.”

“Very well. I -”

Jack ran out of patience and yelled at the General. “With all due respect, sir, I can’t believe that you’re allowing this! The Tok’ra —”

General Hammond turned to Jack and responded in a very even voice, “Colonel. By SGC’s own laws, Major Carter has the right to refuse to disseminate Tok’ra information to the SGC if said information does not include Earth or its people in any way. Don’t forget that again.”

The three Tok’ra whirled around and stared at General Hammond. They had not known that such a law existed on Earth.

Daniel winced at the General's tone. The man was bordering on furious, but he was right. Daniel turned to Jack and placated, "Jack, he's right."

"Indeed." Teal'c wasn't one for talking, but when he did talk, he sure got his meaning across, even with just one word.

Jack sighed and shut up.

Sam looked at Daniel, Jack, Teal'c, and Hammond. She hated this, having to keep secrets from her closest friends, but she didn't have much of a choice. She mulled over what had just been said and got an idea. She stood up and moved to stand at attention in front of General Hammond. “Sir, if I may speak freely?”

“By all means.”

“Sir, I am activating the F-1 component of the SGC law Hybrid Act. I must return through the _Chaappa-ai_ to the Tok’Ra base.”

Hammond startled at Major Carter’s use of the word _chaappa-ai_ , which was the Goa’uld word for the Stargate. He sighed inwardly. This was the first time that the component F-1 of Hybrid Act had been activated, admittedly, because Sam was the first hybrid to serve in the SGC, and therefore, the first to have need of such activation. F-1 was a section of the Hybrid Act that allowed Earth-descended hybrids to return to their other race’s homeworld without further questioning. He nodded and replied, “As you have requested, the F-1 component is active. You may return to the Tok’ra. When will you return to Earth?”

“I might not.”

That statement effectively caused Daniel Jackson to drop his jaw, Jack O’Neill to stare at Sam in shock, Teal’C to raise _both_ eyebrows, and General Hammond was simply speechless.

After several very long minutes, Hammond finally acquired some manner of speech and asked, “May I ask why?”

“It's a very long story, sir, in fact, four thousand years, and I don't have the time.”

Jack moved, having recovered from the shock, and demanded, “Does this mean you are blending again?” Jack couldn’t imagine any other reason for Sam to not return to Earth. Sam had a family here; her brother and his family, SG-1, and even a foster-daughter, Cassandra Fraiser. Earth was her home, or so he had thought.

Sam was surprised at the question. “No, sir. Colonel, trust me, it doesn’t involve blending again. I’m sorry sir, I can’t say more.”

Daniel asked, “Well, then, how do you plan on telling us what you’re going to do?” He was terrified, though he did an admirable job of hiding it. Sam was leaving to go to the Tok'ra, and she might not come back! Sam, his best friend, his teammate, the only one who understood completely why he was a workaholic.

Jacob spoke, “Well, we know where you are! If Sam decides to stay with us, we’ll just give you a call through the Stargate. If she doesn’t, she’ll be _coming_ through that Stargate.”

Hammond nodded at them, accepting their plan. He couldn’t keep Sam here, as much as he wanted her to stay. She was a hybrid, a Tok’ra hybrid. She had another people to care for, even though she was Earthborn. “Major Carter, would you like time to gather your things?”

“Uh, just a few things from home, yes, sir.”

“Very well.”

Sam nodded and said, “Pardon me, then. I’ll go get my things now.” She left the room.

Daniel whirled around and said, “Wait, Sam! I’d like to go with you, you know, help you pack?”

Sam smiled tenuously and replied, “Yeah, Daniel, thanks. C’mon.”


	2. Goodbyes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Goodbyes are spoken, information is exchanged, a young girl shocks the hell out of her foster mothers, and a young woman begins her journey to the truth within by stepping through the _chaappa'ai_.

Sam and Daniel were quiet as they walked into the elevator and began their ascent to the surface. Every now and then, Daniel gazed at Sam and then back down at the floor. Sam did the same. At the twentieth floor, Daniel sighed. At the fifteenth floor, Sam sighed and said, “Some week it turned out to be.”

Daniel chuckled, “Yeah, some week. Two days ago, enemy Jaffa mutilated SG-4, yesterday you made the greatest discovery so far regarding Goa’uld weapons and now today... today, you’re leaving.”

A heavy sigh. “Daniel, it’s just... They’ve lost so many, most at Revanna and Risa.”

“So... you’re gonna... blend...?”

“No, no. There’s other things besides blending, you know. Other aspects of Tok’ra life that they lost or are about to lose.”

“Huh?”

Sam laughed softly and said, “Daniel? We’re here.” Reaching the surface, Sam and Daniel walked to her car. Sam opened it, gestured for Daniel to hop in, and she slid in beside him. Starting the car, they headed for the first of Cheyenne Mountain’s many security checkpoints. Daniel was silent as she showed her identification and clearance to each of them. Sam did so with a sense of sadness, knowing that she might see these checkpoints only once more in her lifetime. If she chose to stay with the Tok'ra, she would be quite unlikely to be allowed to walk Earth's surface again. As she went past the last checkpoint and got on the winding mountain road, heading home, she thought about all of the things that one typically thinks about when about to leave home. She thought about the things from Earth that she would miss if she decided to remain in the Tunnels with her Tok’ra kin. She wouldn't get a chance to eat at her favorite restaurant again. She wouldn't get to go to the park again. She'd miss the city of Colorado Springs itself; Tok'ra did not have cities, only the bases made out of the tunnel-crystals. As Sam pulled into Colorado Springs and drove past the park, she spied something that she would surely miss: families playing together in the park.

Family. She would miss her family here on Earth the most. Mark, her brother, his fun-loving wife, and their wonderful children. She only got to see them once in a while. If she went to the Tok'ra, she might see them once a year, or less. She certainly wouldn't be able to stay updated on their life, their doings. She wouldn't get to see her niece and nephew grow up. SG-1, her substitute family. She'd miss Jack O'Neill's sarcastic comments and fun-loving ways. She looked over at Daniel. She’d miss Daniel Jackson's brotherly advice, and their camaraderie with each other too. Ah, Daniel, he was like a brother to her. And the only one who even remotely understood her ties to the Tok'ra, for Daniel was once Dan'yel of Abydos, and Daniel of Earth still had ties to Abydos. Teal'c, that big Jaffa that had the strength of five Tau’ri men, and the one that would actually kill anyone who tried to harm Sam. Teal'c of Chulak, who was like another brother to her. He'd protected her and she'd protected him, on the missions that might otherwise have killed them both. Nothing like warding off a squad of ten enemy Jaffa to cement bonds between teammates, eh? Sam chuckled at the memory of that particular mission. Daniel was shaken out of his reverie and looked at Sam, wondering what had caused her to chuckle. “Sam?”

She looked from the road to Daniel. “Oh, it’s nothing.”

Daniel gazed at her patiently. He had the patience of a cat.

“Okay, I was thinking about... family.” Sam sighed and continued, “You know, how much I’d miss them if I had to stay with the Tok’ra. Oh, don’t get me wrong. The Tok’ra are family to me, as much as you’re my brother, Daniel, you know?”

Daniel nodded. There wasn’t anything more that needed to be said between the two of them. He went back to staring at the landscape zooming by. Sam returned her attention to driving and her thoughts.

She would miss Cassie a great deal too. Her foster-daughter, Cassandra Fraiser of Hanka. Though Cassie was actually Janet Fraiser's adopted daughter, Sam and Cassie were so close that Cassie was like a daughter to Sam. She'd miss watching Cassie grow up, go to college, and make a life for herself on her adopted world. And Janet Fraiser, the sister that she never had, and loved so much that it hurt to think of leaving her. They had girls' nights whenever they were both onworld on the same weekend. If Sam had a problem, she could go and talk to Janet about it. No matter what the problem, Janet could always at least make Sam feel better about it. And Sam helped Janet raise Cassie. There was a name for this relationship among the Tok’ra, Sam remembered. _Kayatalhia_. Well, okay, Janet certainly didn’t share any of the sexual aspects of a _kayatalhia_ relationship with Sam, but it was the closest Tok’ra word that described it. She would definitely miss them. Sam smiled sadly to herself. She would miss everything on Earth.

As Sam turned the corner on the road, she saw her house down the street, and knew that she was almost home, perhaps for the last time on Earth.

She sighed. “Well, we’re here, Daniel,” she said, “Home sweet home.”

Daniel looked at Sam and smiled, “And I hope that it will still be your home after this Tok’ra thing that you have to tend to.”

Samantha smiled and gestured to the door. “Want to come in?”

“Sure.”

Sam and Daniel walked into the house, one already beginning to regret the decision to leave, the other hoping for a return and reunion in a few weeks’ time. Sam flicked on the lights and moved to the sofa. She dropped into the sofa, sighing. “What the hell do I pack, Daniel? The Tok’ra, their Tunnels, they’re so different from the Tau’ri.”

Daniel considered the problem for a moment, then said, “Well, let’s focus on one area at a time, okay? Let’s start with.. clothing. What kind of clothing would you be able to take and wear in the Tunnels?”

She laughed and said, “None. The Tok’ra will provide me with clothing. Sometimes, when a symbiote changes hosts, the new host doesn’t fit into the clothing of the old host. So the Tok’ra keep them and give them to the next one that does fit into them. Maybe I should take some pyjamas, though. They normally... sleep, uh... naked.”

Daniel raised his eyebrows at that statement.

Sam's expression dared him to say something about it.

“Oh, really? Okay, then, a couple of PJ's, and how about bathroom stuff?”

“Hmm. I won’t need my toothbrush because the Tok’ra use this special stuff to clean their teeth - don’t ask me. You remember those pools we saw in the Tunnels?” At Daniel’s nod, she continued, “Those are the bathing pools. They were empty when we were there because, even though Tok’ra have no modesty with each other, they’re really quite modest with offworlders around. They’re occupied most of the day, normally, and usually very soapy. I definitely won't be needing any bathing supplies. Oh, my comb. I’ll need my brush and comb. Upstairs.” She vaulted herself off the sofa and started towards her master bathroom, with Daniel close behind.

As they approached her room, Sam started talking again. “Okay, let’s see. Hairbrush, comb, what else am I gonna need? Some hairbands, maybe, in case my hair grows out while I’m away. Let’s see.. and definitely some of these.” She had reached her bathroom and started tossing things to Daniel for him to put on her bed. He very nearly dropped the last item she’d thrown to him when he realized what it was. “Um, Sam, uh.. well, I...” he stuttered, not believing that she’d had the audacity to just toss this into his hands.

“What, Daniel? Oh. Oh man, come on, don’t tell me you’re antsy around sanitary napkins!”

“Yes, I am. Dare I hope that there are no more nasty surprises?”

“Just don’t look under the bed.”

“Um, okay.”

Sam just laughed and went back to work, tossing some items to Daniel. Fifteen minutes later, she came out, saying, “That’s it for the bathroom stuff.”

He nodded and said, “Okay, how about your books and stuff? Is there anything you want to take along?”

She thought for a moment. “Yes, actually, two books.” She got the aforementioned books and dumped them on the bed. She stood there for a few moments, thinking. Remembering something, she walked over to her vanity desk and opened a small jewelry box. She reached in and removed something that looked very much like two golden entwined hearts on a necklace chain. She smiled for a brief moment as she looked at it.

“What’s that...?” asked Daniel.

“Oh... um, my mom gave it to me, when I was little, you know? She said that... that if ever I met someone very special to me, I should give it to her. I always thought that she meant like my kid or something, and I know that I’ll never have any, so... I figured, well, it might come in handy sometime if I stay on with the Tok’ra. They... the Tok’ra, I mean, they form really strong bonds with each other, you know. Stronger than a sister or brother, sometimes. Which reminds me.” She walked to Daniel, took his hand and sat him on her bed, and continued, “Daniel, you have to understand something, okay? I know you like Anise.” Daniel blushed, but Sam kept talking, “Understand, these Tok’ra, they feel deeply. What, what we call love, it’s just friendship to them. Just friendship. The, the way that they love, it’s intense. I, I can’t even describe it! In fact, it’s so intense, they can’t contain it to just one person. Most Tok’ra, Daniel, have not one, but two mates. A _kalach-en_ and a _cha’imyn_. _Kalach-en_ means “mate of my soul” or “mate of the soul” in their language, and _cha’imyn_ means “friend-mate”. See, there’s one mate that they fall in love with almost right away, usually after a new blending of symbiote and host. That’s the _kalach-en_. The other’s a really, really, really good friend. That relationship develops into a sexual one, and they become _kayatalhia_. That's basically a friend you can have sex with. When that relationship reaches a certain degree of intensity, they can become _cha’imynr_. Friend-mates. Understand?”

Daniel’s jaw was on Abydos by the time that Sam finished explaining exactly what he could expect with Anise, or with any Tok’ra. “You mean, uh... wow. Two.”

“Yes, two.” Sam laughed. “It can be nice, having two mates, I mean. I think.”

“Well, what happens when... a symbiote of a mated pair or group has to take a new host?”

“Well, there's the common result - the new host falls in love with the symbiote's mates. The less common result is that the host becomes influenced so much by the symbiote’s love for its mates that the host becomes tolerant over the years and eventually comes to love the others as her or his own mates, but there’s no guarantees. I know a few couples that have been torn apart by new hosts.”

“Wow.”

“Mmmmn. You wanna help me decide what foods to take?”

“Huh?”

“Daniel, I have to pack. Would you like to help me pick a few snacks?” Sam ribbed Daniel, “I do have to leave soon!”

Daniel laughed and said, “Okay. So let’s go down to the kitchen.” They got up and walked back downstairs to the kitchen. When they were a few feet from the kitchen, Daniel piped up, “Sam? Thanks for.. telling me about... you know. The Tok’ra.”

“Hey. I thought you could use that info, that’s all. Now come on!” Sam smiled and nodded towards the kitchen. Daniel followed obediently, and in a short amount of time, they got all the food together. After that was done, Daniel asked Sam if she needed anything else. She shook her head, “The Tok’ra will provide.”

“Okay, let’s go and pack all this, huh?”

“Yeah.”

Daniel helped Sam carry the small sack of snacks upstairs. After Daniel put the food on Sam’s bed, she got a small blue sports bag and started putting her things in it. Daniel quietly handed her the items that she asked for. In fifteen minutes, they were done. Daniel looked up at Sam and said, “Sam, you know that you can always trust me, right? I’m here for you, for, you know, whatever.”

Sam nodded and replied, “I know, Daniel. Thank you.” She moved around the bed to him and hugged him hard. He returned the hug with equal force.

“So, um, it’s time to get back to the base. We should, um, get going.” said Sam.

“Yeah.”

Sam walked down to the first floor and through the front door with her luggage around her body and Daniel behind her. She stopped for a moment to lock the door and then handed the keys to Daniel. He accepted the keys in silence and followed her to the car. They got in, and began the long drive back to Cheyenne Mountain.

* * *

Sam parked the car and turned off the engine. She exited the vehicle and grabbed her bag before closing the door. Daniel, having already exited the car, came around and stood in front of Sam. She looked down at the ground, back up to Daniel and then down at her keys. She slowly handed over her keys to Daniel. “I, ah...”

“Don’t worry, Sam. I’ll take care of the car. We should get up to the SGC, you need to say your goodbyes to Janet and Cassie.”

“Yeah.”

She and Daniel walked to the elevator and let it carry them down to the changeover floor, riding it in silence. They walked across the floor to enter the second elevator to complete their descent into the mountain’s bowels. Sam got off a few floors above the Stargate. She waved goodbye to Daniel, who was going further down.

She walked through the twisting corridors until she reached a large door. She entered and was immediately awash in the bright light of the Infirmary, blinking her eyes against the brightness. Once her eyes adjusted, she searched the room for her targets. A few minutes later, she found them. Janet was giving Cassandra a checkup. She walked over to them, calling, “Janet, Cassi!”

“Hey!” Janet answered, happy, and yet sad, to see Sam. She had heard the rumors in the hallways, knew why Sam had come to see them now. She sighed and turned to see what Cassie’s temperature was, plucking the thermometer out of Cassie’s mouth.

Cassandra of Hanka muttered unladylike things about mothers and doctors as Janet checked her temperature, and then turned to greet Sam as well. “Sam! Is it true, that you’re leaving Earth for those snakeheads?” Obviously, the girl still held a grudge against the Tok’ra. Sam couldn’t blame her; Jolinar had scared Cassi half to death.

“Cassandra!” Janet snapped, while mentally cursing Colonel O’Neill for using such terms in front of her daughter. As Cassie’s mother, she understood why Cassie didn’t like the Tok’ra, but that didn’t mean she would allow the girl to insult her friends from beyond the Stargate.

Sam smiled at them and replied, “Yes, I’m going to stay with my Tok’ra kin for a while, Cassi. They kind of need me to do something for them right now, and I don’t know if I’ll be staying for a little while and then coming back or if I’m going to have to stay with the Tok’ra permanently.”

Janet’s heart plummeted and she had to fight to keep her composure. “My Tok’ra kin” was a codephrase that Sam had taught Janet. It meant that Sam was going to the Tok’ra to help them with something that was unrelated to the Tau’ri, going away as kin, family to the Tok’ra, and it was unlikely that Sam would return back to Earth. Janet sighed. Well, so mote it be, if it must be so. She spoke to Sam, “So this is it, huh? You’re going, and you might not return. I guess I knew it would happen,” she gave Sam a half-smile, “that you would go to them someday, hybrid genius.”

Sam laughed. She didn’t mind that Janet called her “hybrid genius” sometimes; it was a running joke between them. “I’m going to miss you guys, and... um...” she trailed off, not knowing what else to say.

Cassie had been watching her mothers talk to one another, and she knew that more information had been passed between them than what had actually been said. She also had a very good guess as to what kind of information. She’d gotten good at eavesdropping when Janet and Sam had their frequent get-togethers. She sighed. She really didn’t like this entire event, but if Sam really wanted to go, and Cassie knew that she did, she didn’t want Sam to leave thinking that Cassie would be mad at her forever. If only she had some kind of gift to give to Sam!

Suddenly, Cassie remembered the annual Mentrai celebrations on her homeworld, Hanka, when some young men and women would go on their Journeys to find out more about their world and themselves. There had been a ceremony before their departure, with feasting, gifts of farewell, and the headman of their village told stories. She remembered one in particular, and knew that telling the story would make a better gift than any material thing she could have bought for Sam.

“There is a story on my homeworld,” Cassie began, noticing that as soon as she spoke, Sam and Janet had riveted their gazes on her, “that is told to men and women who are about to begin their Mentrai, the journey to find out more about themselves and the world around them. It’s about different paths. See, it goes like this: There was a keltrax - a keltrax’s like a fox crossed with rabbit - that lived in the forest. This keltrax had lived in the forest for his whole life, with his parents, brothers and sisters. The keltrax couldn’t imagine ever leaving his home in the forest, because all he knew was here, all his family was here in the forest. He loved to hunt here, drink from the lake of the deepest blue waters, and sleep in the soft forest mast. But one day, a myndra - a myndra is like a wolf, but two times bigger - killed the mother and the father. So the keltrax and his siblings left, because they didn’t want to become the myndra’s next meal.

They walked together for many days and nights. One day, they came to a big valley. The keltrax’s sisters wanted to go the way of the sun - east - because there were more trees on the sun’s side of the valley. The keltrax’s brothers wanted to go the way of the moon - west - because there was more water on the moon's side of the valley. The keltrax didn’t know which way to go. He loved his brothers and sisters so much that he could not choose. The keltrax decided to go straight ahead into the grasslands in order to reach the mountains on the other side of the valley. So the family broke up, the brothers went to the moon’s side, the sisters went to the sun’s side, and the lone keltrax went through the grasslands.

After many days’ journey, the keltrax came upon another lone keltrax. This lone keltrax was from the other side of the mountains, and she was hunting for her family this day. She asked the keltrax of the forest where he was going. He said, ‘to the lands of your people, my friend. My sisters have gone to the sun’s side of the valley; my brothers went to the moon’s side of the valley. I decided to walk to your side, my friend. May I accompany you in this strange land?’ The female keltrax laughed and replied, ‘On one condition. Help me carry these yintaur - a yintaur is like a mouse - to my family.’ He agreed, and helped his new friend carry her cache. When they arrived at her family’s home, a den in the caves of the mountains, her family welcomed the keltrax of the forest, and said that he was welcome to stay.

Next season, when the sun’s heat sorched the land and the keltraxes rested in the cool caves, the female keltrax asked her friend from the forest why he was sad. He said, ‘I am sad because my parents are dead, killed by a myndra, and my sisters and brothers are not here with me.’ She said, ‘Why don’t we go to the sun’s side of the valley and see how your sisters are? If they are not happy in the sun’s side, they may travel with us to our caves.’ He liked this idea, and agreed. So they traveled to the sun’s side of the valley, and found his sisters. He was surprised, though, because each of his sisters had her own mate now, and were happy. They were happy to see him, but wanted to stay on the sun’s side of the valley with their mates. So he said goodbye and wished them happiness and hoped that they would have many kits next year.

He and his female companion from the caves traveled to the moon’s side of the mountains and found his brothers. They, too, had new mates, and one of his brothers already had kits. They, too, did not want to leave their newfound families. So he said goodbye, wished them happiness and many more kits.

He went back to the caves with his friend. When they arrived, he told her, ‘I have seen where my family were, and I have seen that my brothers and sisters have the right of it. I see where I am going now, and I hope my future includes you and many kits. Will you become my mate and my new path-companion?’ She leaped for the sky and said ‘I have been waiting for you to ask, my mate. Come, let us watch the sun set from your new den.’ He was happy from then on, even though he was not in the forest with his brothers and sisters, because he had a new home and a new family.”

Sam and Janet gaped at Cassandra, who was now trying to catch her breath after telling such a long story. “Wow, that was a great story, Cassie,” Janet said, amazed yet again at the girl’s penchant for appearing older than her true age.

Sam was looking at Cassi with an odd look on her face. “Cassi, are you trying to tell me that you won’t be mad if I decide to start a new life with the Tok’ra?”

Cassie looked down for a few minutes, then looked up at Sam with a tremulous half-smile on her face and tears in her eyes, and said, “Yeah, Sam. I mean, I’m gonna miss you tons, but I guess if that’s where you’ll be happy, well, then I wish you the best.” She was surprised when a certain very tall, lanky, and blonde scientist swept her into a bear hug.

“Aw, Cassi. Thanks. I love you, and I hope you’ll remember that always. After all, you’re my Cassi, right?” There was a twinkle in Sam’s eyes behind the thin veil of tears and a huge smile on her face.

Cassi laughed and hugged Sam back, as Janet chuckled in the background.

Janet's mirth faded and she tried to hold back tears as the full reality of Sam's imminent departure hit her. “Hey, is there room for one more?” asked Janet, who wanted to get hugs too.

“Yeah, Jan. C’mere.” Arms opened to allow Janet in, then closed tight together.

They stood there for several minutes, taking the chance to forever remember. Finally, Sam broke apart and said, “Well, I’ve got to get going.” She bent over to pick up her bag.

Janet and Cassie nodded.

“Goodbye, Janet. Don’t worry, the next time I get hurt, I’ll reap the benefits of a healing device.” Sam chuckled.

“Goodbye, Sam. You keep your eye on that Tok’ra _kalach-en_ of yours!” She gave Sam a wink.

“Oh, Janet. I should’ve never told you about that...Bye, Cassi, stay safe and listen to your mom, huh?”

“Sam! I’m too old for you to say that! Goodbye, and you stay safe too, Sam,” answered Cassi, blushing, and trying to hide the tear tracks on her face.

Sam nodded, and then with one last look at them, turned and left the Infirmary, turning right towards the elevator. Her next stop was the Stargate.

As Sam walked into the Gateroom, she glanced at the people waiting by the ramp. _So Jack hadn’t shown up,_ thought Sam, _which would be typical of him. He’s probably steaming it off somewhere else. At least Daniel and Teal’c showed up, and there’s Hammond, too._ She also noticed that the Tok’ra were off to the side, apparently having been talking amongst themselves until she’d entered. “Hey, guys.”

“Hey, Sam.” Daniel still had that sad puppy-dog look on his face.

“Major.” Hammond was definitely not happy.

Teal’c gave a nod of acknowledgement. That was his customary way of greeting a person who just entered a room, however, he was clenching his jaw. Rapidly.

Jacob walked to Sam and replied, “Hey, Sam. You ready to go?”

Sam nodded in affirmation, “Yeah, Dad. All packed, here,” she patted her bag, “and, uh, I talked to Janet and Cassi already.”

Jacob nodded, knowing how close his daughter had been to Janet and her adopted daughter. He was sorry that he had to take Sam away from her friends, but he was sure that Sam would be happy with the Tok’ra... eventually.

“Major Carter, I’d like to say that you’ve given many years of excellent service to the SGC, and I hope that you’ll come back soon. However, if you feel that you have to remain with the Tok’ra, I am willing to reassign you to serve as another liaison to the Tok’ra.”

Sam was surprised; she thought she’d lose her rank if she decided to stay with the Tok’ra. Then her face broke into a huge smile and she responded, “Thank you, sir! I would be proud to serve as liaison to these people.”

Hammond smiled and said, “We’ll see, Major. I’d prefer you right here on base,” his expression became serious, “and when will you let us know your decision?”

“Shouldn’t take more than a couple of weeks, sir.”

“All right. We’ll expect you to be dialing back in two weeks’ time, then.”

Sam nodded, acknowledging her orders. She then turned to Teal’c, opened her mouth to address him, then closed it again. She didn’t quite know what to say to the Jaffa.

“It is also my hope, MajorCarter, that you return to us,” said Teal’c, while he gave her a small bow.

“Uh, thanks, Teal’c. Um, I, ah, I’ll come back if I can--” Sam started to say, then was cut off by Teal’c.

“However, if it is not possible for you to return, I wish you well in your endeavors with the Tok’ra,” finished Teal’c.

“Oh. Thanks.” Sam smiled at Teal’c, and was glad to see him give her a small smile in return. Then she turned to Daniel and hugged him, since she couldn’t think of anything else to say to him.

Daniel returned the hug, saying, “Well, we sort of already said our pieces earlier - and thanks for the info, by the way - so I guess all I can say now is that I really hope you come back. But Sam, if you do want to stay there, in the tunnel-colony, then I hope that you have a really good life with them. You deserve to be happy.”

Sam smiled and replied, “Thank you, Daniel of Abydos. And you, you better keep an eye on Cassi for me.”

“You bet.”

“Thanks again.”

Finally, Sam had said all her goodbyes, and she was ready to leave, so she turned to Jacob and said, “I’m ready. Did you give the address to Control already?”

“Yes, Sam,” he replied and turned to Hammond, “George? Dial us home, please.”

George nodded and signaled Control to dial. A few moments later, as the Tau’ri and the Tok’ra looked on, the Stargate began spinning. Martouf/Lantash and Kalentri/Malek, who had been standing on the sidelines, now moved to the front of the ramp, where Jacob and Sam joined them. They watched the event horizon of the wormhole form, bathing the room in blue and watery light.

The four of them, as one, began walking towards the wormhole. Sam, walking between Lantash and Malek, turned and looked back to wave goodbye. Lantash and Malek also slowed, waiting for her to rejoin them, so that they would walk through the chaappa’ai together. Sam turned to the Stargate, smiled at her companions, and stepped through the circle of blue with them, heading for a planet thousands of light-years away and a colony that may very well become her new home. She was going to Kydir.


	3. Below the Snows of Kydir

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A journey over the snows and into the bowels of the world below. What will the snowlight of Kydir reveal? Will an entirely different world below drive her back home to Earth?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Sorry I took so long to update this thing! At the time I was uploading it (in 2006!!), A03 was having formatting headaches. I'd left it for a while to sort itself out, and then life happened. 
> 
> I'd only returned to A03 recently, and a kind commenter reminded me that I needed to update this thing! There are around seven chapters - the seventh chapter was WIP back then. I'll work on it some this winter. 
> 
> Meanwhile, I'll be updating as quickly as I can, the old chapters that weren't uploaded before. Please excuse any formatting errors and such - still getting used to A03's new interface.
> 
> If you haven't read this in a while, please reread the first couple of chapters - and remember to take note of the chapter notes of Chapter 1, which details the modifications to this little alternate universe. :)

A _chaappa’ai_ opened on Kydir, its vortex making the snow swirl on the dais and on the snowcapped prairies that lay before the immense stone ring. Four people stepped out of the ring and paused to gaze at the alien landscape. One of them, Jacob/Selmak, turned to the lone female clothed in black and green, and said, “Welcome home to the Kydir tunnel-colony, Sammi.” He smiled widely; he was happier than he’d been in a long time. His daughter was finally coming to stay with the Tok’ra, to be once more by his side. He’d been separated from his girl by thousands of light-years and two _chaappa’air_ for far too long.

Sam turned to look at her father, and smiled. “Thanks, Dad, but it’s not home just yet.” She looked back at the _chaappa’ai_ , thinking about where she had just gated from. For her, home was still Cheyenne Mountain, Earth.

Martouf/Lantash and Malek/Kalentri looked at each other. None but another Tok’ra would have seen the anxiety in their eyes. They both had a personal stake in Samantha’s staying on Kydir. She was, after all, Martouf/Lantash’s _kalach-en_ , beloved mate, and Malek/Kalentri’s _cha’imyn_ , friend-mate. Never mind that the original ties were to Jolinar of Malkshur; Samantha of Earth inherited them. And Martouf/Lantash and Malek/Kalentri did not want to let those ties go.

Martouf, currently in control of his and Lantash’s shared body, quietly replied, “But it is your home, Samantha, because you are Tok’ra, counted among our kind.”

Sam turned to look at him, surprised. “Ah, I... that is, uh...” She had not been expecting him to say that! Moreover, she knew, deep down, that the Tok’ra did not truly count her as Tok’ra. She frowned for a moment; was Martouf lying to her? She knew from Jolinar’s memories that, in general, Tok’ra do not lie to one another, but she was Tauri; would they find it easier to lie to her, then? She thought for a moment, and then decided that Martouf, at least, would not lie to the host of his former mate. Then he must believe that she was Tok’ra, but did the rest of the Tok’ra think so, or was he the only one? She was still debating how to form her answer when her father interrupted her thoughts.

“Sammi, listen. He’s not saying that Earth’s not your home. He just means that you’ve got a home here too, understand? Hey, we Tok’ra need to stick together, yeah? Got some major Goa’uld _mikta_ to kick!” Jacob smiled, hoping that his comments were enough to mollify Sammi’s doubts, for now.

Well, that didn’t help her internal struggle, but her father had given her an out. She took it. She replied, laughing, “Well, I guess that’s another way of looking at it. Let’s go kick some Goa’uld _mikta_ , then!”

Jacob chuckled and steered Sam towards the snowcapped hills on the distant horizon. “Then let’s go,” Jacob said, as the four of them set off towards the hidden colony.

Malek/Kalentri sighed in relief. They had truly feared that Samantha would turn back toward the _chaappa’ai_ and return to her homeworld. They knew her only in terms of _jaientra_ , acquaintance-from-afar. Malek first met her when his base at Risa fell to the Goa’uld two _kalir_ , years, ago. She had not taken part in the insults of the Tauri or the Jaffa against the Tok’ra. She seemed respectful, particularly to the loss of the Tok’ra soldiers of Risa. He was surprised at the time; she behaved differently than the Tauri. Then he had seen her once more, on Pangara. He remembered Samantha’s conversation with their queen, Egeria. She had been... respectful. She did not flinch when Egeria spoke to her; she gave no outward indication of being afraid of the queen, unlike her Tauri companions. She had seemed, to him, to be equally as agitated as he that Egeria was being held prisoner by the Pangarans, though she had hidden it better than he had hidden his own. He had been impressed. Had he not been more concerned with the loss of Kelmaa and Egeria’s welfare, he would have spoken to her more at the time… and introduced his host to her. Kalentri was still upset about that. They wanted to learn more of Samantha; to form a bond with her. Perhaps they might strengthen their bond enough so that she agreed to undergo the _imyn’tra_ ritual, the ritual to become _cha’imynr_.

Martouf/Lantash, walking beside Malek/Kalentri, shared similar feelings. To Lantash, she was an engima. Samantha was sympathetic towards the Tok’ra, and over the years, he watched her fight for an alliance between Jolinar’s people and her own people. However, she refused to be host to another Tok’ra, and she seemed to reject all bonds that Jolinar had to the Tok’ra. Two sides of Samantha that he did not understand, but wished to. At first, he sought her as a replacement for his dead _kalach-en_ , Rosha/Jolinar, but as time passed and his pain healed, he learned that she had a fiery spirit of her own. He now sought her as his own _kalach-en_ , and hoped that she would accept his advances. He was terrified of rejection, particularly since he had no reason to believe that she would accept the attention of a symbiote. Martouf felt much the same way about her as Lantash did; he liked her fiery spirit, unbreakable resolve, and unwavering loyalty. She fought for what she believed in, never surrendered, and never left a teammate behind. He was looking forward to having time with her to know her better. He even dared to hope that she might consent to be his _kalach-en_ , someday.

Martouf/Lantash and Malek/Kalentri looked behind them at Sam and Jacob/Selmak. After a few moments, they glanced at each other, and made a silent agreement to do all they could to keep their beloved Samantha here.

As they walked on the white snow, Sam looked around and realized something. “Dad, this is Kydir, right?” At Jacob’s nod, she continued, “Only… well, when Jolinar was last here, it wasn’t covered in snow. I don’t recognize any of the landmarks. How do we find the tunnel-colony? Especially in this?” She indicated the snow.

Jacob nodded, and pointed to a distant stand of trees. “Look there, Sammi. These trees and the _chaappa’ai_ back there form one side of an equilateral triangle. The tunnel-colony is at the third angle, somewhere over there,” now Jacob indicated a seemingly empty snow-covered prairie, “so you just have to imagine two lines, one from the tree stand, and one from the _chaappa’ai_ , that are the same length and have the same angle as the _chaappa’ai_ -tree side, and converge ‘em in the distance. Walk to that point; you’ll feel the rings when you’re...”

“Within three meters of them. I know my range, Dad,” Sam answered, smiling, “and I see. Thanks.”

Jacob chuckled and walked on.

Lantash jerked out of his musings to turn around and stare at Samantha as she conversed with her father.

*She remembers Kydir?* Lantash was surprised.

~Apparently, my friend. Which makes me wonder, what else does she remember of the Tok’ra?~ Martouf replied, also emanating waves of surprise to Lantash.

*She agreed to undergo the testing for the _ye ket_ so quickly. I wonder. Might she already have memories of the _ye ket_?*

~Possibly. We must ask.~

Lantash was not so sure about Martouf’s suggestion. *Should we? It might only aggravate her. I do not wish to do so.*

~If she is aggravated by personal questions, she will not survive living with us. I believe she has enough memories to know how close the Tok’ra are, therefore, she has chosen to accept such questions, my friend.~

Lantash mentally nodded to his host, accepting his rationale, and turned his attention to the conversation between Jacob and Samantha. When they seemed to have concluded their exchange, Lantash asked, “Samantha? I… wonder if I might ask a question? It might offend?”

Sam turned from her father to look at Lantash as he spoke to her. She smiled when she saw, or rather heard, who was speaking to her. “Lantash! You finally came out of hiding… how are you? And yes, you can ask.”

~Well, she is happy to see you, Lantash.~ Martouf’s amused voice filled Lantash’s mind.

*Hmphf. Gloating does not become you, Martouf,* Lantash replied to Martouf, then smiled at Samantha, “I am well, thank you for asking. I was wondering when you acquired Jolinar’s memories of Kydir?”

  
Sam noticed that his tone was softer, somehow, almost as if he spoke with love in his voice. Odd, that, however, she couldn’t dwell on it right now; she had to answer his question. “Oh, the memories? Of Kydir, specifically? About a year ago. Not much more than flashes of memory… scattered conversations, feelings, you know?”

Lantash shook his head. “No, I do not have a complete understanding of this, what you speak of. You do not recall a memory in its completeness?”

“That’s right. I don’t fully remember anything, but I do have little bits and pieces… I remember Aldwin cursing as he tried to pull something out of a crate,” Sam laughed as she recalled that piece of knowledge, “and I remember a meeting of the Grand Council, but I don’t remember what it was about.” Sam thought for a moment, trying to remember other flashes. “And I remember Malek coming in with…he had these burns to his arm, looked like he’d been hit by a _nokotel_ blast. Jolinar and Remika were so worried, I remember that. Kakika… she was so frightened she couldn’t talk. She just hung onto Malek for hours, refusing to leave his side.” She frowned, then shook her head to clear the memories. She looked at Lantash and shrugged, “That’s the kind of things that I get.”

Malek shifted. *So, she recalls some details of the _metralin_ incident.*

~And this discomforts you, Malek?~ Kalentri’s voice carried a tone of concern into Malek’s mind.

*It does, and yet it does not,* Malek answered, and Kalentri needed no explanation. They returned to listening to Samantha’s conversation with Lantash.

“ _Nokotel_? You know the Tok’ra word for staff-weapon? And you can remember what Jolinar and Rosha _felt_?” Lantash was in a state of both shock and pleasure. Shock, that she really knew the Tok’ra language, that Jacob and Selmak had not given her an education in that language, as they had originally thought, and pleasure, that she could feel the emotions and truly understand what Jolinar/Rosha felt.

“Yes. Though I learned _nokotel_ a long time ago, not when I started getting flashes of the Kydir tunnel-colony.”

“So you recalled this word some time ago? What other words do you recall?”

“Um, there’s… _kayateya, kayatalhia_ , the two forms of Tok’ra best-friends, and I know _cha’imyn, kalach-en, kalach_ , um, let’s see… the days, months and years, _pitrar, ruyr, kalir_. Things like that.”

“Given your admission of prior knowledge of certain Tok’ra ways, I am… curious… do you have memories of the _ye ket_?”

“Some.”

“What, precisely, do you know?”

“Tell ya what, I’ll tell you after we enter the tunnels. We’re at the rings.” Sam chuckled at the startled expression on Lantash’s face. She’d actually made Lantash forget his surroundings – not to mention the fact that he was still walking! She was rather pleased that she could distract him so.

Lantash sighed. *This is not good, Martouf. I was so distracted, I did not remember where I was. She has done this to me.*

~Lantash, stop moaning of her effect on you and activate the rings. Besides, she seems to be pleased with your reaction. Is this not good?~ Martouf’s voice carried a fair amount of amusement, chiding, and pure happiness.

*Not at the expense of my dignity, Martouf.*

After making certain that Samantha, Malek, and Jacob were safely positioned on the ring platform, Lantash activated the rings, taking them all home to the tunnels below the snows of Kydir.

******

As the rings deposited them on the underground platform and bright light faded to reveal blue crystal walls, Sammi blinked and looked around, smiling. It felt so good to be back home in the tunnel-colony. The walls seemed to glow with blue-tinged light, welcoming her home. Wait a minute; this wasn’t her home. It was Jolinar’s. Why was she feeling like this? This shouldn’t be what she felt when she was in the tunnel-colony. She frowned, concerned and agitated now; this wasn’t right. Suddenly, her father’s words flitted through her mind. "Welcome home to the Kydir tunnel-colony, Sammi." Then her father had proceeded to tell her that the tunnel-colonies were her other home.

Well, she thought, he was right, in a way. She always felt at home in the tunnels, and she would always be at home here. It wasn’t something that she could change, so she may as well as enjoy the feeling. She smiled, having finally laid to rest the question of calling the tunnel-colonies “home”. She turned to her father, waiting to see where he would take her now that they were below the snows.

When the bright light faded, Jacob/Selmak, Martouf/Lantash, and Kalentri/Malek turned to look at Samantha - Sammi now, they reminded themselves; she was known as _Samika_ among the Tok’ra. They were stunned to see a smile grace her face. She was happy to be here?

However, almost immediately, that smile faded into a frown. They shifted and glanced at each other, wondering what had soured her mood so quickly. They watched her blink, frown some more, and tilt her head sideways. Jacob and Selmak had a brief discussion.

~Sel, I wonder what’s wrong with Sammi.~

*It may be that she is recalling yet another memory of Jolinar’s life here; does she not trance when she is doing so?*

~Well, we only saw her fall into a trance once, so she doesn’t always trance out when she’s remembering Jolinar’s memories.~

*If she is in a trance, we can not interrupt, for to do so is impossible.*

~True. Only thing we can do now is to try. If she’s not in a trance, she’ll appreciate the diversion.~

*Agreed. I will try to attract her attention, Jacob.* Selmak took control of Jacob’s body, and as Lantash and Kalentri looked on, Selmak opened his mouth to try to bring Samika back to this plane of reality, only to shut it as she brought her head back to an upright position and smiled again. Selmak blinked, glanced back at Lantash and Kalentri, whose expressions were that of puzzlement, and returned his gaze to her. It seemed to him that whatever event she had just remembered, it did not bother her overmuch. Suddenly, her gaze met his, a question in the depths of her blue eyes. Oh, of course. Where was she to go now? They could not stand on the platform until the end of time!

Selmak smiled, answering, “We should go to the _netrian’lemeta_ now, Sammi. Come, follow me.”

As she heard Selmak’s deep voice, she grinned, not having heard from Selmak since she departed from Earth. Then she heard Selmak’s answer and frowned for a moment, not understanding the term. From the depths of Jolinar’s memories, the answer came to her almost immediately, and she smiled. “Ah. Changing-chamber. I assume because of the wet boots?” She glanced at her boots to accentuate her point.

Selmak laughed and said, “Yes, and also our wet leggings.”

Sammi blinked and shifted her gaze from her father to her pants. Wet leggings? Oh yeah, she remembered, they had trudged through a few snowdrifts to get to the rings. She realized now that the lower half of her pants were also thoroughly wet. She nodded and looked at her father, replying, “Ah, yeah, I see. No problem. Um... well, maybe one. I sort of remembered that the Tok’ra usually give newcomers spare clothing, and I didn’t bring any --”

Lantash interceded, “Yes, you recalled correctly. You have inherited many of Jolinar’s things. One of the guards,” he nodded at the two Tok’ra standing at the doorway to the ring-chamber, “will go fetch some for you to wear.”

Sammi followed Lantash’s gaze and saw one of the two Tok’ra leave. She realized that the departing Tok’ra had heard Lantash’s subtle command, and had gone to fetch her some clothing. She turned back to Lantash and replied, “I sort of guessed that I’d inherited Jolinar’s stuff, thank you.”

Lantash responded with a smile and warm affection in his grey eyes. Martouf sighed and reminded Lantash that they should move to the _netrian’lemeta_ now. Lantash gave control to Martouf and retreated to contemplate the events of today. Martouf grinned at her, and said, “This way, Sammi.” He turned and walked through the doorway, turning right toward their next destination.

She followed, wondering when Martouf started calling her “Sammi”, for only Selmak and her father called her that. Selmak and Kalentri, who had been quietly observing the entire incident, fell into step behind her.

As the four people walked into the _netrian’lemeta_ , the chamber where they would change out of their wet clothes, they noticed that three piles of fresh, dry clothes, along with new boots, were already placed on the two crystal benches. The missing fourth pile of clothes was Samika’s, and would arrive shortly. Malek, now in control of his and Kalentri’s shared body, moved to the far bench and sat down first. After a heartbeat, he gestured to her, indicating that she should sit next to him. She smiled and nodded her consent, moving to sit next to Malek. They began removing their waterlogged boots as Jacob, now in control again, and Martouf, still in control, moved to the near bench and sat down.

Martouf and Lantash wanted to be sitting next to Samika, but knew that it was Malek and Kalentri’s turn to interact with her. After all, Lantash and Martouf had spoken with her for much of their short time on Kydir. He gazed at her for a moment, then turned his attention to his boots and pants, removing them in short order. Spying a fresh shirt in his pile, he also removed his shirt.

Jacob and Selmak were doing much the same thing, and in short order, were completely naked, as was Martouf. Before they dressed in their fresh clothes, they glanced at her to be sure that she was doing all right. They were surprised to see her in the process of removing her pants. They had not thought that she would be willing to remove her clothes in the presence of company.

Sammi had her pants unbuttoned and halfway down her legs when a pair of clothing flew past her face and landed into the “laundry pile”. She jerked back up and looked to find the source of the flying clothes. She froze, seeing Malek naked from head to toe. Her jaw fell as her gaze fell onto one very fine specimen of the male sex. Malek was... hot, to say the least. He had a strong chest, firm muscles, and there wasn’t a single scrap of fat anywhere on him. He had nicely shaped legs that reached forever, and his shaft... oh, my, it was rising. She glanced at Malek’s face and saw that he was watching her. Twin spots of rose-pink color appeared on her cheeks, and she averted her gaze quickly. Oh, boy. That was embarrassing!

Malek sighed and said, “Sammi, there is nothing to be embarrassed about. You are quite beautiful, and clearly, I am attractive to you, so naturally, I am pleased.”

“Yes, of... of course, Malek. I... know the Tok’ra have no secrets amongst them, but...” Sammi sighed, “give me a little time to get used to it, okay?” She fluttered her hands about for a few moments, forgetting that she was holding her pants up with the same appendages. The piece of clothing immediately fell to the ground, pooling around her feet. Startled, she looked down, then put her hands on her face, intensely grateful that she was wearing underwear as well.

Jacob, watching the entire incident from the other side of the chamber, took pity on her, and said, “Sammi, would you like us to leave so you can change in private?”

Sammi removed her hands from her face to look at her father. She almost moaned in consternation when she realized that he was also naked, as was Lantash. Lantash was standing, holding his shirt by his side. The moment that he saw that she was looking at him, he stood just a little bit straighter, and puffed out his chest, almost as if he was seeking her approval. Sammi, for her part, could not tear her gaze from him. She stared at his chest, slowly licking her lips and swallowing as Jolinar’s memories assaulted her. She remembered running her hands over that very chest, raking him, making him moan in ecstasy. She remembered his strong arms around her, pressing her to him. With Jolinar’s hands, she stroked his shaft, enjoying his screams of pleasure.

She blinked and mentally drew back from the images in her head, shaking her head to clear it. She looked at Lantash as he was now, not the Lantash of her ... Jolinar’s... memories, and realized that she would give anything to have him touch, hold, and pleasure her. She ran her gaze over his body once more, grinning when she saw that he was fully erect, and ended her gaze’s journey at his face, where she saw that he was quite pleased by her survey. Again, she averted her gaze to the floor, but this time, the grin stayed on her face.

Lantash was inordinately pleased at her apparent approval. He could not even halt their natural reaction to her survey. So, she was pleased by them, then. They still had a chance to take her for their own _kalach-en_. He smiled, content to be subject to her gaze for a moment longer. His grin, however, faltered when he saw her avert her gaze in apparent embarrassment. He debated his next action for a moment, then gathered his courage about him, for his next move would be daring.

Lantash walked to her and with a tentative touch, took her hands in his. He murmured softly, “Please do not be so embarrassed. I am pleased that you approve of me.”

She looked up into his face, her expression one of shy approval. Realizing that her hands were in his, she squeezed them. “Okay, I’ll try not to get too embarrassed... though it isn’t a problem in this case, considering how much I know of you,” teased Sammi.

“Oh?” Lantash chuckled, “Then perhaps you will return the favor, and show all of yourself to me.” His eyes held a fervent hope.

Sammi’s cheeks once again flamed pink, but she nodded and moved out of his reach. She returned to her seat on the bench, and bent forward to remove her boots and pants. Then she removed her jacket and shirt, revealing a lithe female form, albeit still covered in two more skimpy garments. She glanced once more at Lantash, her cheeks still pink with embarrassment, then reached behind her to grasp the clasp and unhook it. A few moments later, she was completely naked, open to Lantash’s and Malek’s perusal.

Their eyes raked over her in rampant approval, their gaze heated. They spoke nearly at the same time.

“You are so beautiful, Sammi.” Malek reached for her.

“You are radiant, Sammi.” Lantash reached her first and hauled her to him, burying his face in her neck, murmuring, “And you smell wonderful.” He pressed her to his body, thoroughly enjoying the feel of her body against his. He felt her move her arms to hold him, felt her hands caressing his back in short circles, and felt more than heard her murmur, “I have to say that your scent is intoxicating.” He chuckled and moved his hands to caress her as well.

Lantash had taken her from his grasp! Malek fumed for a moment, then as he realized that Lantash had simply been more brave, more daring, than he was, his anger died a quick death. He stared at her in longing, watching her caress Lantash. After a few minutes, he brought his gaze to bear on Lantash, and realized that he was watching him. He saw no jealousy, no anger in his gaze, and in fact, he was gesturing that Malek should join their embrace. He smiled in acceptance, and moved to hug her from behind.

One of Lantash’s hands moved from her back to Malek’s back, holding him there. He buried his face into her neck, inhaling her scent, tasting her. He moaned. She smiled and moved one of her hands from Lantash’s back to stroke Malek’s cheek. She could feel him now, hard as rock, pressing into her back. She liked this, she realized, and she could stand here forever, cocooned in their embraces. She rested her head against Lantash’s chest, sighing in aroused contentment.

Jacob and Selmak observed them in amusement for a few moments, then, assured that Sammi was all right, they returned to the task of dressing. Their minds wandered to everything they still needed to show her and get arranged for her. They didn’t know how she would react to all of the changes that were coming. She seemed to be taking some of them quite well already.

Long moments later, a guard entered the chamber, carrying garments over his arm, and froze at the sight of Samika in the embrace of Malek and Lantash. They seemed to be enjoying one another. He chuckled. Now... that was a sight worth relaying to the rest of the colony. He would be sure to spread the gossip as quickly as possible that she was settling in well. They heard his chuckle, and at once, the guard felt three sets of eyes on him. He grinned and moved closer to Samika, showing her the clothes over his arm, saying, “Sammi, I have brought replacement garments for you. We hope they will fit and if not, we will find you others that are closer to your size. If there is anything in particular that you desire, you must let us know and we will see if we can find it amongst our spare garments.”

She gazed at him for a moment, wondering, once again, why on Earth they were calling her “Sammi” instead of “Samantha” or “Major Carter”. She belatedly realized that he was waiting for a response and smiled her thanks, disengaging herself from her companions’ embraces. As Lantash and Malek returned to the benches to don fresh clothes, she took the shimmering blue dress from the guard’s arm and pulled it over her head before she responded, “Thank you, Ti - Ta - Tei - I’m sorry. I don’t remember your name, although I do remember your face. I can’t always place things right away. My memories are sporadic at best, I’m afraid.”

The guard smiled and answered, “I am Temeki, my host is Hilatre. We are pleased to know that you remember us, even if the names escaped you. We hope to become familiar to you once again, as time passes, and look forward to knowing you. It will be a pleasure, I am sure.”

She nodded and murmured, “Thank you, Temeki, Hilatre. I’m looking forward to becoming acquainted with you; certainly I hope to become more than _jaientra_ to you.”

He inclined his head in respect and turned to leave. However, once he was at the doorway, he hesitated for a moment, and then, as if coming to a decision, he turned back to gaze at her. He moved his hands into the traditional welcoming gesture, palms facing inward. He called, “Welcome home, Samika. We are pleased at your presence among us.”

She looked throughly surprised at the gesture. Slowly, a grin spread across her face, and she moved towards him to return the greeting. Holding her hands with palms facing inward, she touched the back of her hands to his, and responded, “Thank you, Temeki. I appreciate it.”

Then the other part of Temeki’s greeting sank into her consciousness. “Um, Samika? My name is Sam, Samantha.” She was confused, to say the least, unless... her thoughts were interrupted by his response.

“In our language, _samika_ means beautiful star. I do not know if you recall this custom of ours, but all new hosts of the Tok’ra receive a new name that is based in part on their birth-name. We give them new names to help the melding process, and to honor them as both human and Tok’ra. Your Tok’ra name is Samika... if you are agreeable to it, of course.”

She stared at him in shock, unable to say anything.

Jacob was concerned now, and moved to her side, touching her shoulder with his right hand. “Sammi, are you okay? You’re not upset, are you?”

She removed her hands from Temeki’s hands and turned to her father. “No. No, of course not. I’m just surprised, that’s all. I wasn’t expecting this honor. I’m not a host.” She turned back to Temeki, and spoke, “Um, thank you. I’m honored, and I accept my new name.” As she talked, a smile blossomed on her face, giving dancing light to her eyes when she continued, “And I definitely remember that little custom!”

All the people in the room laughed at her comment. As the laughter died down a few minutes later, Temeki inquired, “If you recall this custom, then you are aware that your father is no longer using the human name “Jacob”?”

She smiled and confirmed, “Yes, I know. Dad’s called Jakoni now. If I remember right, it means stubborn strength.”  
“I told her some time ago, Temeki,” Jakoni interceded, “when we were searching for Setesh.” Jakoni was giving Temeki a subtle hint; if Samika had known all this time that he was Jakoni instead of Jacob now, and still introduced her father as “Jacob Carter”, then she knew what to show the Tauri - and what not to show them.

Temeki nodded his understanding, and turned to Samika, “I must be going now to return to my duties. I hope you will enjoy your stay with us.”

She laughed, “I’m sure I will.” She watched him bow to her and move away, seemingly headed to his post at the rings.

She turned to look at her father, canted her head, and tossed her hands into the air, “What now, Dad?”

Jakoni and Selmak were grateful that they’d taken some time to decide on a plan of attack, so to speak, earlier. Selmak gave control to Jakoni, who spoke, “Well, now we find you a place to stay while you’re here.”

She chuckled, “I guess I’m not getting a place all to myself?” She wasn’t overly concerned about sleeping with others; she slept with her teammates all the time, for they had only two tents with them on missions. And no Tauri would be silly enough to sleep alone in a tent on an alien planet.

Her father shook his head, replying, “No, actually, if you weren’t comfortable staying with the others, we could grow a personal chamber for you.”

She nodded, acknowledging that the Tok’ra were willing to do this, and asked, “What are my other options? I really don’t want to put the Tok’ra in a bind. You guys are low enough on tunnel crystals.”

“Then we thank you for your consideration of our difficulty, Sammi,” Lantash piped up. He was sitting on one of the benches, next to Malek, and watching her.

She grinned and reminded him, “Well, that’s why I’m here, aren’t I? You guys are hoping that I’ll have the skill to crystalweave.”

Lantash inclined his head in acknowledgment. As Jakoni started speaking and drew her attention to him, Malek and Lantash glanced at each other, wondering how she would respond to her options.

“Okay, Sammi, here are your other options. There’s a group of female Tok’ra that offered to share their quarters with you for a while. There are five of them, and a bed big enough to hold six people. However, two Tok’ra are offworld, doing field duty, so you only have to deal with three, and you’ll have a little bit of space in the bed.”

“Sounds nice,” she agreed. “What’s the other option?”

“Ah, okay, um, since you used to be the host of Jolinar, you inherited, um, her... chamber? Or rather, the chamber that she would have been staying in, if she was still alive.”

“You mean, sort of like a family household?”

“Yeah.”

“Which would include...?”

“Oh. Well, Martouf and Lantash, obviously. There’s also his _cha’imyn_ , Jiyayna and her host Hestaira. Malek and Kalentri were Jolinar’s _cha’imyn_ , and Malek’s got a _kalach-en_ , Remika and her host Kakika, and they’ve stayed together for a hundred years. The arrangement hasn’t changed, even though Jolinar’s dead now.”

“I figured that much, Dad. Who else?”

“Well, Martouf and Lantash sort of, I don’t know, adopted me. When the Tok’ra decided to start grouping up to use fewer chamber crystals, Lantash and Martouf asked me to stay with them. So I did, and, uh, well, I ... um...” Jakoni couldn’t finish the sentence; he was too nervous about what he was about to reveal to his daughter.

She had her eyebrows buried in her hairline by now, and she encouraged, “Yes?”

Jakoni shifted and refused to look her in the eyes. After a few moments, Selmak finally took control and replied in a high-pitched, yet soft, voice, “Samika, what my host is too nervous to relay to you is that we have taken a mate, and they live with us.”

She could do no more than stare at them and try to make her jaw reach the ruins of Abydos.

He shifted, then hurriedly added, “Perhaps I have stated our relationship incorrectly. We are not _kalach-enr_ yet, but it is only that we do not have your approval of our choice that stays us from binding ourselves to one another.”

“You, that is, you and Dad - took - want to take a... Wow! That’s great! Why didn’t you tell me earlier? Who are they? What are they like? How long have you two... four... been going out, so to speak? When did you decide to become _kalach-enr_?” She ran out of breath, which gave Selmak a chance to respond.

Selmak, at least, had the grace to look abashed. “Your approval is very important to your father, as well as myself. We do not ask that you make a decision now, Samika, but only that you give them a chance. During the next two weeks, you will get to know them, and we hope, like them. You have already met them; it is Garshaw and her host, Yosef, that we have asked to become our _kalach-en_ , though we have not yet given the _ame’tea’yan_ , the crystal of life-mating, to her. We have been ‘going out’ for many Tauri months now. It is nearly one year in Tauri time that we have been... ‘together’. We chose to become _kalach-enr_ shortly before our mission to the Tauri to locate and bring you to Kydir.”

“A councilor? You had to pick a _councilor_?! I gotta sit down for this...” Oh man. Her father had managed to fall in love with one of the Tok’ra Grand Council. She would have been happy for him, if it’d been any of the others. She, however, didn’t trust any of the Council, not after the za’tarc incident that killed Raindra, Jolinar’s _kayatalhia_. She heard a familiar voice speaking to her; Selmak had given control to a nervous Jakoni.

“Sammi? You’re not mad, are you? Listen, they’re wonderful, Garshaw and Yosef. Really. Please, just get to know them?”

She looked at her father for a moment. “All right, all right. We’ll see. So, she’s with you and Jolinar’s family now, huh?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, I guess, I suppose...” she thought for a few minutes, then sighed, “I guess I’ll stay with you guys.” She was startled as she felt arms come around her and hold her. Those arms were familiar, as was the _naquada_ signature that belonged to these arms. She smiled and leaned back into Martouf/Lantash.

“I am glad that you have chosen to stay with us,” Martouf purred into her ear.

“Me too, Martouf, me too.” She turned to look at him and grinned, “Why don’t you show me the way to our chamber?”

“I would be quite pleased to do so. Come, this way.” He took her arm and led her out of the _netrian’lemeta_ and toward her temporary chamber, Malek/Kalentri and Jakoni/Selmak following a few steps behind them. They walked through the endless maze of blue tunnels, heading toward old friends, alien memories, and quite possibly, a new family.


	4. Crystal Kin

As they approached her temporary chambers, Samika’s anxiety levels increased. She hoped that the chambers were empty, because she wanted to survey it without having to face new people; ones that she knew, yet didn’t know. People that she shouldn’t have memories of, but did. Samika remembered the other occupants of the chambers all too well.

“Ah, we’re almost there, Sammi,” Jakoni commented, interrupting Samika’s musings.

She turned to smile at her father. “Yes, I sensed that. I see that you guys still crash in the same chamber-neighborhood.”

As Martouf and Malek chuckled, Jakoni replied, “Yes, I suppose so. Makes it easy to assign people to new chambers if the arrangements don’t change too often from base to base.”

“I figured as much.” She smiled and returned her attention to the tunnels stretching out before her.

The party slowed their pace as they approached, careful to make their walking noisy, but not too noisy. In the tunnel-colonies, one never approached a chamber in total silence; it was akin to walking in without knocking, back on Earth.

She concentrated her increased Tok’ra hearing, in order to hear the movements of the occupants in the chamber, if there were any. Voices floated to her on the gently moving tunnel air.

_“Metaek, kel-tenmat? Kenre maat ense seta.”_

_“Shen. Ken-rea. Nira kenre balin amate, amail sezen sen-tra.”_

_“Shen. Sammi kenre met amail kel amenit Marloon.”_

Her mind automatically translated the Tok’ra words into English.

“This, she would like? It is beautiful.”

“Yes. I think so. It would match her eyes; he said that they are blue.”

“Yes. Sammi’s eyes are as blue as the oceans of Marloon.”

She blinked, confused. The voices were female, one symbiote and one host. She searched her mind for the names to match the voices, and was surprised when they came from the deep ethers of Jolinar’s memories. Jolinar rarely gave her information that easily. The first voice was Garshaw, speaking to Hestaira, owner of the second voice. That almost explained the conversation. Garshaw had met her before; she would know the color of her eyes. Why, however, were they talking about her eyes?

The voices stopped as the sound of feet reached them. A few seconds later, Jakoni poked his head into the chambers and announced, “She’s here!” He turned to Samika and gestured her to enter.

She gave a small sigh, then walked forward to stand by her father. As she peered into what was now her chambers, she saw what the conversation that she’d heard earlier had been about. Garshaw was standing by the bed, holding up a dress that was as blue as the sky and the lining of the dress was a shade between lavender and lilac. Various pieces of clothes were spread out over the bed, and Hestaira, sitting on the bed, was holding another dress, this one the shade of fuschia.

She didn’t know what to say to them. What, she mused, did one say to one’s new chamber-mates, particularly when one had a huge bone to pick with one of them? Hello? How are you? No, much too mundane. She glanced around the chambers while trying to think of a more appropriate greeting.

Hestaira, seemingly uncomfortable with Samika’s silence, piped up, “Greetings, Samika. Welcome. I understand you are to stay in this chamber, yes?”

Samika smiled tentatively and nodded. “Yeah.”

Hestaira smiled. “I think that you will like living here. I am Hestaira; my symbiote is Jiyayna. We knew Jolinar; she was – ”

“Yeah, I know. Your co-mate.” Samika’s face held an expression of understanding and compassion.

Hestaira blinked in confusion. She was nearly absolutely _certain_ that Selmak had _not_ conveyed that kind of information to Samika.

Samika clarified, “I remember a lot,” a wan smile appeared on her face, “and I’ve known about the whole _kalach-en, cha’imyn_ , co-mates thing for a while now.”

“Ah,” Hestaira grinned, “I think that we will have much to speak of while you are acclimating to the Tunnels.” She turned to Garshaw and glanced back at Samika, “And you have met Garshaw and Yosef, have you not?”

Samika swung her gaze to Garshaw, her eyes turning to ice and her voice hardening to steel, “Yes. I have.”

Garshaw blinked in surprise. She glanced to Jakoni, silently asking the reason for Samika’s frosty greeting.

Behind Sam, Jakoni shrugged and mouthed, _she knows about us_.

Garshaw swung her gaze back to Samika, sighed, and commented, “Are you truly upset that your father has decided to take a mate?”

Samika raised an eyebrow. “Actually, no. I’m happy that he’s finally decided to marry, er, I mean, get a mate, again.”

“Then why do you not greet me properly?”

Heavy sarcasm laced her voice, “Oh, didn’t I? Sorry. Hello.” Samika was quickly tiring of having to look at and talk to someone who had actively tried to stop her from learning more about the _za’tarc_ detector devices in order to help others to avoid Raindra’s fate. She winced internally as the memory of Raindra’s death hit her once again.

Garshaw frowned. “That is not a proper greeting. Furthermore, I do not believe that you were sincere. What is your problem with me?”

“You’re a Councilor. Do I really have to explain?”

“Apparently so.”

“Forget it.” Samika turned to Hestaira and inquired in a friendlier tone, “So, uh, the other roommate is Remika, right? Where is she, Hestaira? On duty at the _mest’renit_?”

Hestaira blinked, and shook her head. Tauri were mystifying. “No, she is not on duty. Remika is traveling, trading for goods for the tunnels.”

“Ah. When will she come back?”

“In a few days’ time, perhaps.”

“Oh. I, uh, it’ll be nice to meet her. Uh, Jolinar was pretty fond of her.” Samika paused, not really knowing what else to say. It really was odd; she felt like she knew everything about Hestaira and Jiyayna, yet she felt uncomfortable in their presence. They knew so little about her, and she, in truth, was terrified that they would start asking the really personal questions any minute now; she didn’t feel that she was ready to divulge the more intimate facets of her personality to the Tok’ra.

Meanwhile, Hestaira nodded in acknowledgment of Samika’s statement and frantically probed her own mind’s depths for something to say to her that would not also offend her. The Tauri, in her opinion, took offense far too easily. She glanced at the dress in her hands and smiled, remembering their original purpose with the items of clothing that were currently scattered all over the bed. She returned her gaze to Samika, and asked, “What are your preferred colors, Samika?”

She blinked for a moment, confused by the sudden change in topics, then answered, “Uh, blue. I also like purple, sometimes pink. Why do you ask?”

“Ah, you have inherited Jolinar’s clothing, however, by now, many of them have gone to new owners. I, uh, believe that Selmak has mentioned that the Tok’ra are communal?” explained Hestaira.

“Yeah, I remember that, actually.” Samika nodded to show her comprehension.

Hestaira nodded once and continued, “Yes, well, as a result, not very much is left, except for those that Martouf wished to be given to you. We were trying to determine which of these outfits,” she gestured to the clothes scattered on the bed, “that you would like. They are from the --”

Samika nodded and interrupted, “Communal clothing closet.”

“I do not understand,” Hestaira said, unable to make sense of the statement that Samika had just uttered.

“That was the direct translation of your term for it. _Nilenetre ama-meke_ , right?” Samika explained patiently.

“Ah, yes. Thank you for the translation. Yes, they are from the... communal clothing closet,” Hestaira finished, while staring at Samika. Where did she get that piece of information?

“Ah, uh, thanks. Um, well, uh, I guess anything that fits will do,” Samika responded, gazing at the outfits on the bed.

Hestaira nodded and continued, “True. However, I am certain that you would prefer to wear items that you _like_?”

“Er, yes,” Samika chuckled, “There is that.”

Hestaira cocked her head for a moment, listening to something from Jiyayna. A few moments later, her eyes glowed as Jiyayna took control. She grinned at Samika and stood, while extending one hand toward her. She cleared her host’s throat, and spoke, “Samika, come and choose.” With her other hand, she reached out and held up the blue dress that Garshaw was holding, and continued, “As blue is among those colors that you prefer, you might like this.”

Samika wasn’t surprised by the abrupt shift from host to symbiote. Such things were common among a race of symbiotic beings. Additionally, she was used to it, having witnessed such shifts from her father to Selmak, as well as from Selmak to her father. Her gaze shifted from Jiyayna to the dress in Garshaw’s hands. It was beautiful; almost too beautiful to be given to a complete outsider. What was up? One day, the Tok’ra acted as if she was an outsider, the next, they acted like she was one of them. A memory surfaced at the edge of her mind, and as she grabbed at it to see what it was, she smiled. It was one of the few times on Earth that she cherished; one of her girls’ nights with Janet.

_********Flashback********_

_“Oh, Sam,” murmured Janet Fraiser. She was quiet for a moment, then said, “Sam, what gives you the impression that the Tok’ra wouldn’t want you with them?”_

_Sam gazed at Janet for a moment, then responded, “Janet, there are things, um, customs of common courtesy that they show to one another upon returning to the tunnel-colony after a very long or a very dangerous mission. By their own social mores and their view on the position of hosts in their society, they should have shown me at least some, if not all, of the customs whenever I went back, but they didn’t. That pretty much screams “we don’t want you here” to me.”_

_Sam saw Janet’s confusion and elaborated, “Oh, it’d be kind of like me not welcoming Dad back home whenever he came back through the Stargate. I mean, it’s similar to…” Sam frowned, trying to find something that Janet could understand. Suddenly, she had a lightbulb moment and finished, “It’s analogous to me staying in the lab and working, even if I knew my dad was coming through the Gate.”_

_Janet finally understood, and nodded, replying, “I see.” She thought for a moment. She looked back at Sam, and asked, “Well, you were always with others from Earth when you visited, right?” At Sam’s nod, she continued, “Well, didn’t you tell me once that they were very secretive around outsiders?” Another nod. “Ah. Maybe that’s why.”_

_Sam didn’t say anything for a long time. She seemed to be deep in thought. Janet waited, patiently, and was rewarded when Sam smiled and replied, “That’s possible. I didn’t think of it, but yes, that’s possible.”_

********Flashback********

Hmm. She’d forgotten all about that conversation. It had taken place just before her mission to Pangara. Janet had made a good point, and she was surprised that she’d forgotten it. She supposed that it was possible that the Tok’ra treated her like an outsider only because there were other Tauri around every time that she’d seen them.

Either that, or the Tok’ra were more desperate than she originally thought, and were only trying to get on her good side.

After long minutes of gazing at the dress, she dragged her gaze away from it, to fall once more upon Jiyayna. “That’s really beautiful. How come it’s in the communal closet? I would’ve thought that it’d have been snapped up a while ago.”

Jiyayna paused for a moment as she processed the Tauri idiom _snapped up_ , then realized that it must mean “been taken” or “taken away” in the language of the Tauri. She nodded and explained, “It was given to the communal closet by a symbiote, a few _ruyr_ ago - I am sorry. The Tauri translation for _ruyr_ is – ”

“Months. Don’t worry, I know the Tok’ra terms for the passage of time.” Samika grinned at Jiyayna’s look of surprise. “Yeah, it seems that it didn’t occur to Malek or Martouf that I might recall a few words here and there of the Tok’ra language, either.”

Behind her, the two men in question shifted to stare at her. Lantash, apparently, the braver of the two, muttered, “A few words? She held an entire conversation with Jakoni in Tok’ra.”

Samika’s only response was to chuckle.

Both Garshaw and Jiyayna raised their eyebrows in surprise.

“Really?” Jiyayna commented, “I agree with Hestaira. We will have much to speak of, Samika.”

Samika grinned. “So, back to the subject. A few _ruyr_ ago, that dress ended up in the communal closet... why?”

“A symbiote, Anilyek, once had a female host, but lost her in battle. Anilyek’s new host is male, and he did not have a female mate, so he put it, among other things unsuitable for his new host, in the communal closet.”

“Oh, I see. And no one decided to snap up this pretty thing? I don’t believe it.”

Jiyayna laughed for a moment, then sobered and said sadly, “It was known, even then, that there might be another female joining the tunnel-colony. We wished her to have first choice, having come here with very little forewarning, and thus, nearly nothing.”

Samika blinked in surprise. “You mean, me?”

“Precisely.”

“But, you, er, that is,” Samika smiled tenuously, “I, uh, I’m honored. Thank you very much. Uh, I sort of, well, my presence here isn’t exactly assured. I don’t know if I’m going to be remaining here or returning to the Tauri in two weeks, so I don’t want to, uh, get ahead of myself, you know? I think that whatever I inherited from Jolinar, plus one or two outfits from that pile,” she indicated the clothes on the bed, “will be enough.”

Garshaw and Jiyayna both frowned in complete confusion. If she was not here to try to become a _ye ket matrina_ , then why was she here? Jiyayna murmured, “You do not intend to serve us as a _ye ket matrina_ , tunnel crystalweaver? Then what mission are you on?”

Samika realized that the Tok’ra hadn’t expected a time limit to the trial. Or a trial, for that matter. She suddenly remembered the conversation back in the SGC briefing room. Of course. The Tok’ra hadn’t known that she could leave Earth on Tok’ra business without undue protest from her government. They’d expected her to either reject the request outright, or be forced to leave Earth - permanently, no option of returning, if she turned out to have no ability to crystalweave - to help them.

Her eyes widened as she realized that the Tok’ra had been prepared to welcome her amongst them, regardless of whether she could crystalweave or not, for life, to offer support and a place among their people. After all, to the best of their knowledge, Earth would have exiled her for trying to help the Tok’ra without telling them what exactly she was helping them with.

She hastened to explain, “Yes, of course. I’m here to try my hand at this _ye ket matrina_ thing. It’s just, well, I have two weeks’ leave from my duties on Earth. So, if it doesn’t work out, I’m going back home.”

Garshaw and Jiyayna swung their gazes to Jakoni, not believing Samika’s statements. They did not believe that she would have been able to escape the Tauri so easily.

Selmak took control of Jakoni and nodded, clarifying, “Apparently, a law was passed recently concerning offworld and onworld hybrids of Tauri origin. It seems that any hybrid that is currently serving the Tauri government has the right to return to their secondary homeworld without further questioning. I am given to understand that those that survived Tok’ra blendings and subsequent symbiote-deaths or separations fall under the hybrid category, according to their definitions. My daughter was able to secure a time period of two weeks away from the Tauri. At the end of that time period, we must dial the Tauri and either return Samika, or inform them that she has chosen to remain. That, of course, will depend on if she succeeds with the crystalweaving machines.”

Samika nodded, silently confirming Selmak’s words.

Garshaw and Jiyayna swung their gazes back to Samika. If they had been nervous before about helping Samika settle into their community, they were terrified now. Samika had a way back to her birth-world. Her ties to the Tauri had not been severed. It meant that Samika would not put any real strength in the bonds she formed here; she might even sabotage her own efforts to crystalweave, in order to be able to return to the Tauri. In unison, they sighed. It would be much more difficult to bond to Samika now.

They glanced at each other, and then at the bed. Less than a hour ago, they had rummaged through the clothes and discussed all the things that they would do to help Samika settle among the Tok’ra. Jiyayna, especially, had looked forward to bonding with Samika; she’d planned to start bonding this evening with a nice, calming bath in the Tok’ra bathing pools, leisurely washing each other. Garshaw and her host, Yosef, wanted to spend time with her new daughter. It was common for a symbiote to “adopt” its hosts’ children, and so also it was common for the symbiotes’ mates to do the same. Garshaw and Yosef would soon take Jakoni and Selmak as their _kalach-enr_ , and, therefore, soon, also take Samika as their own daughter. Garshaw and Yosef desperately wanted to strengthen their bond to Samika, but from the first greeting, that had proven almost impossible. They could not understand why Samika continued to refuse to allow a bond to develop.

Garshaw lamented internally to Yosef, *I do not understand why she will not become friends with us.*

Yosef felt the concern, disappointment, and frustration emanating from her beloved symbiote and responded, ~Perhaps her anger has more to do with an action of some kind that you took in a matter concerning the Tauri some time ago.~

Garshaw thought about it for a moment, then answered, *I doubt it, as I have not taken any action _against_ the Tauri in many _kalir_. I believe that she has simply taken a strong dislike to me for some irrational reason.* Tauri, in her experience, were known to be irrational, even one that was as rational as Samika usually was.

Yosef shook her mental head and replied in a subdued mental voice, ~Well, when you inquired as to her reason for being unfriendly with you earlier, her response was “You’re a Councilor. Do I really have to explain?”. That statement leads me to believe that the cause of her anger or resentment lies in your past duties with the Tok’ra Council.~

She was reluctant to admit it, but it was possible that Yosef was correct. She hoped that it was not so; political rifts were extremely difficult to repair. *That is a reasonable deduction, Yosef.*

Yosef mentally nodded and continued, outlining her deductions methodically, ~Additionally, it is not the first time that she has been unfriendly toward a Tok’ra Councilor. Recall the incident at Sarkete? Anise and Renemet complained of her unfriendly demeanor for many _pitrar_ afterwards. I did not think much of it at the time. I thought that she was simply disturbed by an event unrelated to the Tok’ra.~ She stopped for a moment to gather her thoughts again, then continued.

~At the annual Tok’ra-Tauri information exchange, Samika spoke only to the non-Councilor Tok’ra. So, clearly, we can at least deduct that her manner has nothing to do with our relationship status with Jakoni and Selmak.~

*True,* Garshaw mentally sighed and continued, *If it is related to something that occurred a number of _kalir_ ago, we must communicate this to Selmak. Perhaps Jakoni can deduce the reason, once given this information.*

Yosef agreed and commented that they should return their attention to the situation at hand. Garshaw agreed, and refocused her eyes onto the scene before her.

Jiyayna glanced at Yosef and quickly realized that Yosef and Garshaw were internally discussing something. Very likely, they were discussing Samika. She looked back at the pile of clothing on the bed and at the dress in Garshaw’s hands. She told her host, *It will be difficult to establish a bond with Samika, but I am not surrendering the mission.*

Hestaira mentally laughed and answered, ~Neither am I, beloved, neither am I.~

Jiyayna smiled, feeling the support of Hestaira, and nodded. Well, then, they should start trying right now. She reached out to the blue dress, removed it from Garshaw’s unresisting hands, and carefully carried it to where Samika was standing. She held it out to her, saying, “Though you may be staying here for a short time only, you will still require some clothing. Please take this one; I think it would look beautiful on you, Samika.”

Samika hesitated for a moment, staring at the dress. She shifted her gaze to Jiyayna, and slowly smiled. Reaching out to take it, she said, “Thank you, Jiya. It is beautiful. I’m sure I couldn’t do it justice, though.” She gazed again at the dress, imagining how it would look on her.

Jiyayna blinked for a moment at the name. _Jiya_? Then she remembered that Jakoni often called Samika “Sammi”. It must be a form of affection. It was disconcerting to hear one’s name mangled in such a way, but if it meant that Samika was forming a bond with her, then she would tolerate it. She smiled, and replied, “I am certain, Samika, that you would “do it justice”. Come, choose the other outfits.” She gestured to the bed.

Samika smiled and nodded, walking with Jiyayna to the bed, setting her bag on the floor next to the bed, and sitting on the bed’s edge. Running her hand over the various pieces, she said, “They’re really soft. What material is this made from, silk?”

Jakoni interrupted, “No, it’s made from what we call _naturse_ , a cross between silk and cotton. Comes from a plant - silk from a plant, if you can imagine that. Listen, Lantash, Malek, and I have to go make our reports, will you be all right?”

Samika turned her head to look at her father and nodded, “It’s all right, Dad. Go do your thing. I’ll be fine. I know these tunnels like the back of my hand, remember? Unless you’ve changed the – ”

“Haven’t.”

“Ah. Well, I’ll be fine, then.”

“Okay. See you later, Sammi.” Jakoni turned and walked away in the direction of the Council chambers.

“You too,” Samika called to his back.

Lantash and Malek bowed their heads in respect before following Jakoni. Lantash paused for a moment and tossed back over his shoulder, “Sammi? You should try the Tok’ra bathing pools soon. I think that you would enjoy it immensely.”

Samika nodded her head and replied, “I’ll be sure to try ‘em out. Thanks.”

Garshaw, having been reminded of her duties by Jakoni, murmured, “I must also oversee the reports. Welcome to the tunnels of Kydir, Samika, and I hope that you decide to remain.” She bowed slightly, then left the chamber.

Samika hadn’t even looked up to watch Garshaw leave; she simply nodded her head and kept rummaging through the pile of clothes. As a result, she didn’t see Garshaw pause at the chamber’s entrance and glance at Samika wistfully for a few minutes before moving on.

Jiyayna sighed, gazed at Samika, then ran her hands through the pile, pulling out a pair of royal blue pants that were similar to the Tauri jeans in the cut of the material and the buttoning pattern. “Do these not please you? I think these would go well with this.” She pulled out a deep ocean blue sweater.

Samika looked at them and nodded, “That’d be great for everyday wear.” She smiled at Jiya. She still couldn’t really believe that all this was happening. Yesterday, she’d been on Earth, doing her favorite thing: tinkering with alien tech toys. Twenty-four hours later, she was in a room of crystal, deep beneath the surface of an alien planet, and choosing alien clothes for what could very well become a very, very extended stay.

She gazed back at the clothes, and sighed.

Jiyayna heard the sigh and glanced at Samika. “Samika? Are you, what do the Tauri say, all right?”

Samika turned her head to look at Jiyayna again and replied, “Yes, I’m all right, Jiya. I’m just tired. It’s been a long day for me.”

Jiyayna nodded. “Then perhaps you would like to go to the bathing pools now? They are very relaxing.” And it would give me the chance to actually touch her and bond her to me, she silently added.

Samika thought about it for a minute, then smiled, “I’d like that, yeah.”

Jiyayna grinned, then grabbed Samika’s left wrist with her right hand. “Then, come. I am in need of a bath myself, and I would enjoy your company.”

Samika glanced down at Jiyayna’s hand on her own wrist. She didn’t jerk away; though it seemed aggressive, it wasn’t. Holding hands, to the Tok’ra, was sexual, and therefore, instead of holding hands, one person held the wrist of the other. She returned her gaze back to Jiyayna, and chuckled, “Sure. Lead on.”

Jiyayna bowed slightly, and started walking in the direction of the bathing pools, gently pulling Samika behind her. Samika chuckled again and started walking too, increasing her pace to match Jiyayna’s. They walked through the tunnels side by side, Jiyayna pointing out chambers of interest to Samika. When they came to the chamber where they made the tunnel crystals, Jiyayna stopped and brought Samika to the entrance, saying, “This is where you will begin training to become a _ket matrina_.”

Samika looked around the chamber, at all the equipment - mostly crystal or some metal alloy, and at the chamber’s two occupants, who were, in turn, staring at her. She smiled tenuously at them. “Hello.”

The chamber’s occupants, one male and one female, bowed in acknowledgment. The female said, “Greetings, Samika. I am Kyenet, and I will be your training mistress during your learning. My host is Cailye. My companion,” she gestured to the male Tok’ra, “Is Traleye, his host is Dartmel.”

“Well, uh, nice to meet you guys.” Samika was rather uncomfortable. Actually, come to think of it, she was always uncomfortable around people of any race unless the subject involved technology or astrophysics.

Jiyayna sensed Samika’s uneasiness and murmured, “I was taking her to the bathing pools. We should go now, before they get too crowded.” She laid her other hand on Samika’s lower back, attempting to reassure her.

Samika shyly nodded and agreed, “Yeah. I, I guess I’ll see you around tomorrow, or whenever, Kyenet.”

Kyenet smiled and said, “Actually, you will see us both. Traleye is to oversee your pattern learning while I monitor your technology learning.”

“Oh?” Samika blinked. She was going to have two different teachers?

Traleye nodded and replied, “I look forward to teaching you, Samika. If you are as stubborn as Lantash says you are, I think you will learn this work quickly.”

“Ah, I’m sure. Thanks... I think.” With the word _stubborn_ , you were never certain as to whether the Tok’ra were insulting or complimenting you, and Samika wasn’t sure which one it was this time. She bowed slightly, indicating that she’d like to move on, and she felt Jiya doing the same besides her.

Kyenet and Traleye bowed also, acknowledging their wish to continue to the bathing pools. Kyenet spoke, “Enjoy the bath, Samika.”

Samika smiled as she walked away with Jiyayna toward the pools, and called, “Thank you, Kyenet.”

Jiyayna and Samika walked in silence for some time, then Jiyayna asked, “You seemed uncomfortable in the crystalweaving chamber. May I ask why?”

Samika turned to look at her, and grinned, “For some reason, I’m not comfortable around people, normally. Call it a quirk of mine.”

Jiyayna gave a half-smile, and commented, “Then what are you comfortable with?”

“Ah, let’s put it this way. Given a choice between a diplomatic party on some alien planet, and a piece of alien technology in my lab just waiting for me to crack its secrets, I’d go for the tech.”

Jiyayna stared at Samika, and teased, “A diplomatic party? I would also prefer the alien technology. Give a more fair example, Samika!”

Samika laughed and replied, “Okay, okay. Um, between a cute Tauri man interested in courting me, and alien tech, I’d go for the tech.”

That was a half-truth, but Jiyayna didn’t need to know the details. Yet. She was sure that Jiya would drag the details out of her someday. Jiyayna, as predicted, raised her eyebrows into her hair and murmured, “Over a warm body, you would take technology? You are, indeed, odd.”

Samika grinned and shrugged. “Say, aren’t the pools just around the corner there?” She inclined her head in the general direction that she thought the pools were in.

Jiyayna nodded and sped up, pulling Samika behind her and replied, “Yes, come quickly. I am eager to get in the water.”

“Aren’t all Tok’ra?” was Samika’s sarcastic, yet obliging reply. She got only a glare from Jiyayna in response.

As they rounded the corner and came into view of the pools, Samika was utterly relieved to see that the pools were... empty. There were no other Tok’ra about, and the water looked so warm and inviting. She perked up visibly at the sight, and Jiyayna did not fail to notice it. “Yes, I know. But we must first remove our clothing, and then use the wall showers to clean much of the dirt away before we may enter the pools,” Jiyayna murmured as she gently pulled Samika toward the small alcove with a bench at the far end. It was where they would put their clothes while they bathed.

When they reached the alcove, Jiyayna immediately began undressing and placing her clothes on the bench. Samika did the same, though her speed was more to humor Jiyayna than for herself. Jiyayna finished first, and watched Samika as she removed the last pieces of her clothing.

Samika felt Jiyayna’s gaze on her as she removed her footwear. She instinctively started to cover herself, but stopped, telling herself, Relax, Sam. It’s something you’ll have to get used to while you’re here! Shrug it off and head for the showers. She agreed with that conclusion and stood up to heed it.

Jiyayna’s eyes widened at the sight of Samika’s body in all its glory. “You are beautiful, Samika.”

Samika’s cheeks turned deep crimson as she answered, “Er, thank you. You too.” She forced herself to gaze at Jiyayna, giving the feel of truth to her words. In truth, Jiyayna was gorgeous; she had a very supple body, with medium-sized breasts, and not an ounce of fat on her anywhere. And unlike the female soldiers that she shared the women’s showers with in the SGC base, Jiyayna had no scars anywhere. Then again, being a Tok’ra, she wouldn’t; Tok’ra healed themselves so quickly that no scars were left behind.

Jiyayna smiled, letting Samika gaze at her for a few moments, and returning the favor. Samika had a body that any symbiote would covet. She was slender, but not too thin, and she obviously took very good care of her body; Jiyayna could not see any sign of undereating or overeating. She was muscular, a sign of internal strength. She saw an odd white line on her side, and her smile turned to a frown as she realized that Samika’s back and sides bore many scars. Hestaira murmured that it was to be expected; Samika was a soldier of the Tauri. She would have several scars, at least, as the Tauri could not heal themselves as well as the Tok’ra could. Jiyayna conceded the point to Hestaira, but no normal human soldier Jiyayna had ever met had that many scars...not one that was alive, anyway. What in the universe had Samika been through?

Samika noticed Jiyayna’s frown and inquired, “Jiya? What’s wrong?”

“Oh, it is nothing of immediate concern,” Jiyayna smiled, “I will discuss it with you another time. For now, I will show you how to use the showers.”

Samika raised her eyebrow and responded, “Er, to use the showers, you just wave your naquada-laced hand over that little blue panel by the water spigot, and that will turn on the water. The water’s already warm, so no need to tinker with the temperature, right?”

Jiyayna blinked in surprise. Samika, apparently, had already learned to utilize the showers, but from where?

Samika saw Jiyayna’s surprise, and smiled, saying softly, “Jolinar.”

“Ah. I see. Well, come, then.” She led Samika to the nearest shower and retrieved a thick material shaped like an oval, but very spongy, as Samika turned on the shower.

As Jiyayna handed the oval object to Samika, Samika commented, “You know, that looks a lot like the bath sponge we have back on Earth.”

“Really?”

Samika nodded, “Yep.” She took it and started running it over her body, quickly cleaning off the dirt. When she was done, she handed the sponge back to Jiyayna and stepped under the warm water to rinse. Jiyayna quickly did the same and joined Samika under the warm spray. Then she turned it off and said, “We are clean enough, Samika. Time to enter the pools.” Smiling, she indicated the nearest pool, and started walking to it. Samika followed, eager to finally experience the Tok’ra pools. Over the years, she’d seen Jolinar’s memories of the pools, and most of them were amazing.

Jiyayna eagerly climbed in and sighed in bliss as the warm water enveloped her. With a hand, she lazily beckoned Samika to enter. Samika did so, uttering as she was enveloped by the water, “Ooooh! This is so nice... and I’m relaxing already.”

Jiyayna chuckled as she swam to the edge of the pool, sat down on the underwater bench, leaned back against the pool wall, and said, “That _is_ the purpose of the pools.”

Samika laughed and followed Jiyayna, coming to rest on the underwater bench, about two feet from Jiyayna. “So it is. Mmmm.” She relaxed and proceeded to simply enjoy the water.

Twenty long minutes later, Hestaira took back control of her body and swam lazily to the far end of the pool. Taking the smaller bath sponge stored in a chamber on that side of the pool, she put the Tok’ra version of soap on it, then swam back to Samika.

“I wish to wash you, if you will allow it,” asked Hestaira, holding up the soaped sponge.

Surprised, Samika gaped and stuttered, “I, er, ah, that is, I...” She shut up and simply stared at Hestaira. Hestaira was wearing an expression of hope. Samika hated to hurt them by refusing, but that was a very personal kind of thing. Back on Earth, only lovers or sisters would even attempt to wash one another. Then again, Jiyayna was Jolinar’s co-mate. Didn’t that qualify? Still...

Jolinar, however, seemed to be unhappy with Samika’s response. As she had done so many times in the last few years, Jolinar’s spirit pulled Samika into a memory trance, causing Samika to slump against the wall of the pool, completely unresponsive to outside stimuli. Peering through the mindhaze that told her that she was reliving yet another memory, Samika watched as a Jolinar of many years past relaxed in her co-mate’s embrace. As Jiyayna gently washed Jolinar/Rosha, Samika was overwhelmed by Jolinar and Rosha’s emotions at the time - stress, exhaustion, and anxiety, all melting into relaxation and love.

Samika woke up slowly from the trance, and was faced with a panicking Jiyayna. _Ooops. I guess Dad and Selmak didn’t tell anyone else about the trances_. “Jiyayna! I’m all right. Calm down.”

Jiyayna stared at Samika, took a deep breath, then yelled, “I called your names in both Tok’ra and Tauri for ten minutes; you would not respond! What happened?” She obviously was unnerved by the entire incident.

Samika sighed and tried to explain, “Well, that’s actually rather common, I’m afraid. I was in a trance.”

“A trance?” Jiyayna frowned, not entirely understanding.

“Um, a state of – ”

“I know what a trance is, Sammi. Why were you in one?”

“Oh, Jolinar.” She took a deep breath, looked at Jiyayna, and sighed, “Well, sometimes, when Jolinar wants to tell me something right away, and um, she wants to, I don’t know, impress the importance of that memory or the words, she pulls me into a trance. When I’m in one, I’m not aware of anything in the outside world til she lets me go.”

Jiyayna frowned and murmured, “This happens often?”

“Yeah. Most of the time, it’s only a couple of minutes, though,” Samika answered, shrugging.

“And you do not know why this occurs? It should not happen, Samika. Hosts of dead symbiotes do not have this experience.”

“Really? I thought it was normal. Kind of. Not that it’s normal for humans, anyway,” commented Samika. She spied the bath sponge floating in the pool - Hestaira must have dropped it - and grabbed it; she intended to let Jiyayna wash her as a distraction.

Jiyayna, meanwhile, was in deep thought, and didn’t see Samika go for the sponge. She stared off into space while trading theories and thoughts with her host. Finally, she said, “Samika, have you had other - unusual experiences?”

“None that I would call “abnormal” for someone like me,” Samika shrugged and continued, trying to distract Jiyayna, “Say, I’d like to wash my back, but I can’t reach certain parts. Would you do the honors?” She held out the soaped sponge.

Jiyayna blinked at the sudden change of subject, and cast a suspicious glance at Samika. Then she looked at the sponge. Not exactly the way she wanted to bond tonight, but she would not miss any chance to create deeper bonds. She took the sponge, murmuring, “Of course. I am pleased that you asked. Turn around, please.”

Samika smiled, realizing that Jiyayna hadn’t given up, but would pursue the subject another time. “Thanks, Jiya.” She turned around, and in a few moments, was moaning in pleasure as Jiyayna applied sponge, soap, and her marvelous hands to her back. Before today, Samika would have sworn that a massage using a bath sponge was impossible.

Apparently not.

******

Samika watched in interest as Jiyayna prepared the bed for the night. Tok’ra used animal furs as both mattresses and blankets. Over two thousand years, they had amassed quite a stash of human-sized animal furs, in various natural colors and patterns. They had enough now, that they no longer hunted for such things, except when they lost a sizable amount in an airstrike-driven evacuation. As Jiyayna rearranged the furs for the best possible cushion as well as ensuring sufficient furs for blankets - six people were to sleep here tonight - Samika studied her methods. Samika knew that she would be expected to take this chore every once in a while; every Tok’ra that shared a chamber took this chore in turn.

When Jiyayna finished, she turned toward Samika and murmured, “It is time to sleep. Come, undress and join me. Your father, Garshaw, Malek, and Lantash will be here when they have finished their baths.”

Samika cocked her head, thinking. Finally, she asked, “And which side does Dad usually sleep on? I assume that he’s gonna be undressed as well.”

“Yes, he will be; Selmak would not allow him to sleep in any other manner. He, they, enjoy being next to Garshaw and Yosef far too much. As Councilors are first to rise, last to sleep, he and Yosef sleep on this side,” Jiyayna gestured to the side nearest to the chamber entrance, “as not to disturb the others.”

Samika nodded; that made sense. “In that case, I’m sleeping on the far side. This is one case where I want to be as far away from Dad as possible!”

“I thought as much. That is why I made the blanket pile thicker on the far side,” Jiyayna chuckled as she led Samika to the closet where they would store the clothes, “but you might consider leaving space on the edge of the bed for Martouf and Lantash. They will wish to sleep near you this night.”

Samika nodded her consent.

They undressed quickly, then ran to get under the furs. As they settled into comfortable positions, Jiyayna laid a hand on Samika’s side and murmured, “May your mind walk free of night-terrors this night. I am glad that you came to us, Samika. I am sure that you will learn to like living with the Tok’ra.”

Samika turned to glance at her, and smiled, “Thanks, Jiya. May your mind also walk free of night-terrors this night.” They drifted off to sleep, each dreaming of the days ahead, and all that would come, good and bad.

As Samika snuggled deeper into the furs and Jiyayna’s body for warmth, she sensed the song of the naquada crystals in Jiyayna and the Tok’ra in the chambers surrounding theirs. She sleepily recalled that it was known among the Tok’ra as the Song of the Crystals, each host and symbiote pair having a distinctive frequency which only enchanced the song. Their place in the Song identified them as kin of the children of the crystals. She smiled in her sleep.

As the twin moons of Kydir rose high in the sky, Martouf and Lantash slipped into the space beside Samika and smiled at her sleeping form. They looked over to Jiyayna, now enclosed in Malek and Kalentri’s arms, then returned their gaze to Samika. Content, at last, they drifted off to sleep, dreaming of all the tomorrows that they would have with the newest member of the crystal kin.


	5. Ye Ket Matrina

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the Tok'ra discover things about Sam. And our lovely astrophysicist did not even realize one of them.

Samika stared at the machine, wanting nothing more than to take it apart and put it back together. She winced internally at the reliable appearance of her tendency to dive at alien technology. There wasn’t anything that she liked better than solving an alien technology puzzle or making breakthroughs in astrophysics. However, she wasn’t here to satisfy her curiosity. She was here to learn crystalweaving.

She reached out to touch the machine, running her hand over the crystal body and caressing the metal fixtures. She was learning, through touch, the feel of the machine and getting a sense for how it worked. It was also good for calling forth Jolinar’s hidden memories.

She was startled out of her musings by Kyenet as she shifted her host’s tall warrior’s body closer to the table and laid a hand on the machine. She was five feet and seven inches tall, but still couldn’t quite equal Samika in height. She might be a crystalweaver, but she kept herself in excellent fighting condition, and her body and muscles showed it. Her green eyes contrasted sharply with her long black hair and sparkled as she began her lecture.

“Samika,” Kyenet spoke calmly, “This is a _cimala_. It creates the simpler _ye ketr_ , tunnel crystals. You will be practicing on this machine until you are proficient enough to work with the more complicated patterns. These are done on the _tikamala_ , which is more powerful than the _cimala_.” She pointed to the larger machine on the other end of the table.

Samika shifted her eyes and brought her gaze to rest on the _tikamala_. A quick glance into Jolinar’s memories told her that there were six more machines, but they were hidden beneath the table. When a crystalweaver needed a machine, she or he only needed to touch a sensor on the side of the table, and it would activate the lever that pushed the machines up above the table’s surface. A second press of the sensor would bring the machines under the table for safe storage, much like the hidden television sets on Earth. She also knew that of the six hidden machines, there were three _cimala_ machines on her side of the table and three _tikamala_ machines on the other side.

She replied, “Yes, I know, Kyenet. And before you say it, yes, I know that there are more machines under the table.”

Kyenet blinked at her and inquired, “I assume that you are able to access the information from Jolinar’s memories?” She was curious. This was a side of Samika that had very rarely been shown to the Tok’ra, and now, according to the colony _ilanat’mesa_ , what the Tauri called a ‘rumor mill’, Samika was demonstrating a large amount of knowledge that could only have come from Jolinar.

She nodded, “Somewhat, Kyenet. I know that Jolinar used to be a crystalweaver when she was in ... I think that her name was Harajar?” At Kyenet’s nod, she continued, “So, some of it is from remembering what Harajar was actually doing when she was crystalweaving. And the rest come in flashes or small snippets. Very random, really.”

Traleye had been listening to the entire exchange. He was supposed to begin teaching Samika about the crystal patterns and how to lay them in the crystal matrix after Kyenet finished showing her the machines. He was looking forward to working with her and learning more about her.

This, however, was more than he had expected from her. He was still contemplating the consequences when his host, Dartmel, suggested that he ask her about the patterns that she knew. It might reduce the workload of her study, Traleye agreed, and it might even allow her to begin producing some crystals in a few days. He perked up at the thought.

Kydir Colony had only five crystalweavers in a colony whose size needed, at minimum, seven crystalweavers to run the colony’s operations smoothly. And theirs was one of the colonies that were better off. Even if Samika only learned to crystalweave the easiest ones, it would reduce the workload on the other crystalweavers and allow them to focus on the more complicated ones. In Tok’ra society, crystals were used for everything from rooms to databanks to food production.

The Goa’uld had only learned to use the _akamet_ crystals, and only for information storage and conduits. They had never learned to use the _araket_ crystals, the Tok’ra’s pride and joy. Being on the run all the time had taught the Tok’ra to make everything that they needed out of the _araket_ crystals. _Akamet_ crystals needed to be made large and heavy in order to properly store and transmit data, and were difficult to make. _Araket_ crystals, on the other hand, had superior data storage capability and so could be made smaller and lighter, and the crystals were strong and practical enough to be used for other applications. The Tok’ra had learned to apply it to everything.

The one failing of the _araket_ crystals was that with the current technology that the Tok’ra had, only a few people had the inherent skill needed to crystalweave. Also, that person had to be blended, as the Tok’ra had not been able to find a way to remove the need for naquada in the bloodstream in order to use the devices.

Over the centuries, the Tok’ra had carefully noted the characteristics of the crystalweaving hosts, and had gathered a pool of information that narrowed their search for new hosts that had the skill. Selmak had noted that Samika had many of those unique characteristics, as well as the naquada in her body. She could operate the devices, and with luck, she had the inherent skill. The difficult part would be teaching her the patterns and how to operate the devices; the hosts usually learned from the symbiotes that they carried. She had no symbiote to teach her. However, if she had the memories of Jolinar of Malkshur, it would be much easier.

Traleye strode to where Kyenet and Samika were standing, and asked, “Do you remember any of the patterns, Samika?” He gazed at her with a curious expression in his host’s black eyes.

She turned to look at him, grinned, and nodded, “I know some of them, yes. Um, the, I don’t know the name for it, the one to build the data relays? And the one to build the bathing pools. Oh, and the ones for the energy batteries and the ventilation air ducts. I’ll probably recognize a few more if I get a look at them.”

He stared at her in surprise. “Those are among the more difficult crystal patterns. I do not think that you could weave them now. Are you sure that you do not remember the simpler ones? The heater relay, perhaps? Or the database storage crystals?”

“I’m sorry, no. Maybe if I got a look at the pattern, I could remember it. It happens a lot, you know. I see or hear something and it triggers the memory,” Sam explained, “and sometimes, it’s a complete memory, but more often, it isn’t.”

Traleye frowned, realizing that perhaps she would not be creating any patterns just yet. At least she knew some of the complicated patterns; it would assist in the speed of her learning. He mentally sighed, turned his frown into an understanding smile, and murmured, “I see. Well, then, we should begin your training with the patterns, Samika,” he nodded at Kyenet, “If you are done with her, Kyenet?”

Kyenet gave a half-smile and inclined her head, “Yes, for now, Traleye. Samika, once you have learned two of the simplest patterns by heart, Cailye will begin training you to use the _cimala_. My host is better suited to the training than I am. You will enjoy working with her, I am sure.” She laid a hand on Samika’s shoulder, squeezing it in encouragement.

Samika grinned and inclined her head to Kyenet, “I’m sure that it’ll be interesting.” She turned to Traleye and asked, “What’s next, Traleye?”

He put his arm around her waist and led her to one of the walls of the room. It had two areas; one area was dedicated to monitoring equipment and crystal scanners, and the other area had a table with recessed six-inch-square recessed boxes. He led her to the table and began to lecture, “This is where we keep the crystals that we have created. Each box,” he pointed to them, “is for a certain type of crystal. For instance, this box contains the data relay crystals, that one contains energy battery crystals, and this one is for chamber crystals.”

Samika gazed at the table, her eyes roaming over the boxes. Each box was lined with a velvet-like cloth, and if there were crystals in a box, they were lined up and arranged carefully so as to not cause damage to any of them. She was dismayed to see that most of the boxes were either empty or only had one or two crystals. She hadn’t realized that the crystal supply was this low.

Traleye saw her frown, and asked, “What is wrong, Samika?” He moved his body closer to hers in an attempt to reassure her. He was tall and matched her height, so he had little trouble looking her in the eye, and his medium-length black hair fell forward as he leaned closer to her.

She shifted her gaze to him and murmured, “So few crystals. Are they really used up as fast as you can manage to make them?”

He smiled sadly and shook his head, “Not normally. We usually have at least three in each box, but one of our bases had to relocate recently. We sent all the building crystals to them. We are only now starting to have excess crystals to store for future use in our own colony.”

“I’m sorry.” She was looking at him with an expression of compassion. She returned her gaze to the empty boxes, thinking about the situation that the Tok’ra were in. In an instant, she decided to do everything that she could do to help them. If it meant being a crystalweaver for the rest of her life, she’d do it. She knew that at some point, she’d want to stop doing this full-time. She’d get bored and want to do some astrophysics stuff or poke at a different technology. The Tok’ra had enough technology to keep her busy for a lifetime, but she knew that she wouldn’t get to access most of them for a while. She wouldn’t mind crystalweaving part-time, though. It was interesting enough.

Right now, however, all this was new, alien, and technological. She’d have fun learning the patterns, laying them in the crystal matrix, and learning to work the machines. In a few months, she’d have learned all of the patterns and started to play around with the machines themselves.

Maybe she could make it so that people with the inherent skills didn’t need the naquada in their bloodstream to crystalweave. That would help the Tok’ra out a lot. A very small smile appeared on her face, but disappeared when she was startled out of her musings when Traleye laid a hand on her shoulder. As Samika turned to look at Traleye, she realized that the stance that he had belonged not to Traleye, but to Dartmel. He was in control now.

“Come to the monitoring equipment area, Samika,” Dartmel’s smooth voice murmured, “And I will show you holograms of the first two patterns that you must learn.”

She nodded and followed him, curious about how Dartmel would display the patterns. She quickly found out, as he placed a holographic device on the floor and input a programming code. The pattern that appeared was unfamiliar to her, but quite simple, compared to the ones that she remembered. She knelt to get a closer look at it and said, “I don’t remember this one. What is it for?”

“This is the pattern for a heater relay. We use a device to heat our tunnels that uses geothermal energy. This relay crystal moderates the flow of energy from below to our device.”

“Ah. It, uh, looks rather simple to do.”

“Of course. It is the first pattern that all new crystalweavers learn.” He reached out to touch a button, and then continued as the new pattern replaced the heater relay pattern, “This is the pattern for a small information storage crystal. We use these to pass information from colony to colony to be added to the main database in each colony. You must learn these two patterns by heart before you can do them on the _cimala_.”

Samika smiled and said eagerly, “I remember that one now! Can I try it?”

He blinked in surprise, “I thought that you did not recall any of the simpler patterns?”

She chuckled quietly, “I didn’t, Dartmel. Like I said earlier, I don’t really remember some things until I see them.”

He grinned and nodded, “Then by all means,” he gestured to the female crystalweaver, “go to Cailye to begin your training.”

She murmured as she got up, “Thanks.” She strode to Cailye, who was currently working on the _tikamala_ , making what looked like a tunnel crystal. She stood quietly, watching her weave the delicate crystal matrix together for an half hour, until Cailye was done.

“Thank you for waiting, Samika. Such complicated patterns can not be interrupted. What do you wish?” Cailye asked as she put the crystal into the box that it belonged in.

“Ah, um, I remembered the small information storage crystal pattern when Dartmel showed it to me. I’d like to try it now.”

Cailye turned and stared at Samika in surprise. “I did not think that you would be ready to begin until tomorrow.” She shrugged, walked to her, and put her arm around her waist, gently guiding her to the _cimala_. When they reached it, she murmured, “It is good that you are learning so quickly, Samika. Do you remember anything about how to operate it?”

After a few pointers from Cailye, she nodded and turned to the machine. _This is it_ , she thought as she stared at the machine, _it’s the point of no return_. They were about to find out if she was a crystalweaver or not. Sighing, she put in the correct crystal matrix and began crystalweaving. Twenty minutes later, she stopped and removed the new sky blue crystal point.

She was surprised that she’d actually done it. Even before starting the machine, she’d thought that the chances that she could crystalweave were very slim. Grinning wryly, she realized that SG-1's propensity for beating the odds had held true. She looked up and realized that Dartmel and Cailye were standing next to her, staring at the crystal point in shock.

“Uh, um, here.” She gingerly handed over the crystal to Dartmel. He did little more than blink at it and accept it, she noted, and continue to stare at it. Maybe there was something wrong? “It’s the right color and shape, right?” she asked with just the slightest touch of anxiety in her voice.

Dartmel, startled out of his reverie, ran to the monitoring equipment, took out a scanner, and started scanning the crystal. Cailye answered, “Yes, you have performed the correct color and shape pattern. We are simply surprised that you could do it in a single practice session. Dartmel is checking to see if it is viable for use.”

“Ah.” They waited for five minutes, Samika nervous and Cailye tense, in silence. Finally, Dartmel put down the scanner, walked to the holding table, carefully placed the tunnel crystal in the proper box, and then turned and walked to them. As he let Traleye take charge, he made sure to glow his eyes so that Samika would know that Traleye was in control.

Traleye stared at Samika for a few minutes, then suddenly grabbed her head and kissed her passionately. He did not let her go for a full four minutes, and she was too shocked to react. When he finally released her, she was panting and had an expression of a woman that had been throughly kissed, and kissed well. She eventually regained her brain functions and gasped out, “Ah, ahem, uh, what was that for?” She was staring at Traleye.

“Ah, that crystal was perfect. You are a crystalweaver. There is no question.” His smile blossomed into a laugh. “I could not believe it, but it is true. You, you are a gift to us. Would you like to learn other patterns? Perhaps we should go through the entire archive of basic patterns and see which ones you are able to do without further study.” He looked at her with glee and anticipation. Teaching her would be fun. He would look forward to the next few _ruyr_.

Traleye’s eagerness was infectious, and Samika laughed, nodding, “Yep. Let’s get to it, then.” She looked around for Cailye, but realized quickly that she was gone. “Where is Cailye?”

He chuckled, “She has gone to give the news to the Council and contribute to the _ilanat’mesa_.”

Samika frowned for a few seconds, then her face lit up as she realized what Cailye and Kyenet were doing. They were feeding the rumor mill! She chuckled and murmured, “I see. I hope that they are enjoying their _duty_.”

Traleye laughed as he activated the holographic device, signaling that they really should get down to studying. She gave a nod in silent acknowledgment and bent closer to the hologram to study the pattern.

******

Garshaw groaned in pleasure as her beloved Jakoni nibbled her neck and ran his hands down her sides. She raked her hands down his naked back, arching her hips into his, suggesting that he do more than torture her slowly. He, the infuriating Tauri that he was, merely groaned and ignored her silent command. He kept caressing her nude body in a slow, torturous, and provocative way. She sighed, realizing that he and Selmak were planning a long, slow, and sensuous mating this time. She, however, was not in the mood for long and slow. She wanted it hard and fast, and they were not cooperating.

Frustrated, she moaned and grabbed his head with her hands, kissing him deeply. He was distracted by the kiss long enough for her to flip him over and pin him to the bed. Once she settled them comfortably, she leaned over and kissed him hard and ground her hips into his before breathing huskily into his ear, “Usually, I would enjoy a slow mating; it is pleasurable in its own right. However, I am feeling rather passionate at the moment, Jakoni, so I would rather mate you hard and fast, and do so until we can no longer move from this bed.”

He chuckled and moved his hands to hold her hips in place as he pressed his own hips into hers. “If that’s what you want, my vixen, that’s what you’ll get.” He began a rapid thrusting rhythm and kissed her again, this time with all of his passion.

She smiled in satisfaction and returned his kiss with equal passion. As they kissed, she arched her back and moved her hips into the perfect position. On the next thrust, Jakoni’s shaft found her channel and slid home to rest in the warm embrace. They froze for a moment, savoring the intimate connection. It didn’t last for long, however, as Jakoni glided his right hand over her lovely back and started rubbing her neck rather sensuously.

As the neck of the host was a Tok’ra symbiote’s second most erogenous zone, Garshaw tossed back her head and keened. She continued to make small noises and show her happiness in a dozen of small ways as Jakoni used his hand to make various patterns and rub her neck in just the right ways. She was so far gone now that she and Yosef were taking control in turns every five minutes or so. Yosef realized that she would reach her peak too soon if this continued, so she flipped them over again.

As soon as she was on the bottom once more, she bent her legs as close to her chest as possible and placed her feet on his butt. Using her channel to clamp down hard on Jakoni’s shaft, she forced him to stop thrusting. Jakoni groaned and struggled out of his sexual stupor to stare at Yosef.

“Jakoni, as much as I enjoy this, it is Selmak’s turn,” she murmured as she hugged him with her arms and began dancing her fingers across his neck, enticing Selmak to come forward and take his turn. She smiled as she felt Selmak take control of Jakoni’s body and begin gripping her hips with convulsing movements.

Selmak groaned and buried his head in her neck. He desperately wanted to thrust into her and never stop, but with Yosef clamping down on him, he couldn’t move. He would have to settle for licking and kissing her neck, as well as running his hands frantically up and down her body. One of his hands found her breast and started massaging it as he kissed her neck. Perhaps he could end her torture by encouraging her to want to thrust rather than play with his neck. Though, the neck play was very ... arousing.

She groaned and _almost_ released him, but she wasn’t quite done with Selmak yet. She would have her revenge for their slowness earlier and initial refusal to obey their desire to increase the speed. She continued rubbing his neck in strategic places, and then, finally pressed down on the one certain spot that would make him... wild.

He shuddered, threw back his head, and cried out. “Yosef! I yield. We apologize for not obeying your wish.” Frantic now, he pressed his body deeper into hers and grabbed her head, kissing her hard.

“Please, please release me so that we might finish this.”

She canted her head and murmured, “As ... pleasant as that was, I am not so sure...”

He grunted and wormed his hand under her body, struggling to get his hand to her neck, to that one spot that he knew would drive her ... there it was. He stared at her with his startlingly blue eyes as he pressed on her spot.

She screamed and released him. He took the advantage and used every last ounce of symbiotic strength and endurance that he had to thrust into her hard and fast. As she began to writhe beneath him, matching him thrust for thrust, strength and endurance every bit as strong as his, he gripped her shoulders and together, they strove toward the peak.

Hardly a few minutes later, their screams rang out in unison as their bodies simultaneously froze and convulsed with orgasmic fire. Still hugging each other as deeply as they could, they collapsed together onto the soft furs.

For long moments, neither of them could do more than pant or sigh. Gradually, their ardor cooled down and their ability to breathe properly returned. “Was that what you wanted, my beloved?” he asked as he slid out of her and cuddled close to her.

“Yes, just what we needed, love. Thank you.” She snuggled into him, burying her face into his neck and breathing in his scent. She sighed. She would normally have enjoyed Jakoni and Selmak’s usual method of slow and sensuous sex, but the anxiety that she had felt over the past few days had taken its toll on her, and she needed an outlet. Her favorite outlet was to have hard and fast sex with Jakoni.

“I am sorry, Jakoni. I know that you wanted to mate slowly today, but -”

“No, we are the ones that should be sorry. We should have realized that you needed to, as Jakoni is so quaintly putting it, fuck us. Our only excuse is that we are still new to one another, Yosef, and do not yet immediately recognize precisely what kind of mating you require.” He nuzzled her and hugged her tightly.

“We should have been more clear about what we needed.” She reached out and laid her hand on his face, stroking it gently.

“So we both have made mistakes. Nevertheless, it ended well, and should we not bask in the aftermath? I, for one, would like to simply cuddle, if that is acceptable.”

She smiled and snuggled in deeper, “I would also like that.”

As they rested in the afterglow of sex, Yosef sleepily murmured to Garshaw, *We are fortunate to have such loving mates.*

She felt Garshaw’s smile as she mentally nodded in agreement, ~Yes,~ then she sighed, ~It is, however, unfortunate that we do not have such a loving daughter. I believe that we should discuss Samika with Jakoni now.~

Yosef, wide awake now that she had been reminded of their current predicament, groaned and buried her head in Selmak’s neck. She was not looking forward to the discussion. Jakoni and Selmak both were notoriously closemouthed about their Tauri daughter, honoring her need for the ‘privacy’ that was so highly valued by Earth’s people. It made things... tense... between the couple, as Garshaw and Yosef constantly tried to gather information concerning the one that would be their own daughter in a short time, and Jakoni and Selmak always fielded the questions or gave small tidbits, nothing that would be considered ‘private’.

It drove Garshaw and Yosef crazy. However, this was important, and this time, Yosef knew that Garshaw would not yield.

Selmak sensed Yosef’s tension and murmured, “What is wrong, my heart? You seem tense.” He turned to face her and ran one of his hands up and down her side while holding her hands with his other hand.

Yosef sighed and said, “Garshaw has an issue that she wishes to discuss with you.” She stopped and thought for a few minutes. Then she nuzzled him and murmured, “It is important to us that you tell us all that you know. She will soon be our daughter; this rift can not continue.”

Selmak sighed and nodded, “I will tell that which you wish to know as long as it does not carry the threat of weakening my own bond with her.” He looked into her eyes and practically begged her to understand. Selmak, for as long as he was in Jakoni, had worked hard to build Samika’s trust in him, and he was loath to lose it now.

Garshaw took control of Yosef and murmured softly, “I know. It is why I have not pressured you before now. We, however, came to a conclusion yesterday, and we wish your input. Yosef has a theory, and it seems to explain her behavior, but we can find no initial reason or cause for it to exist.”

“A theory? As my host would say, do tell.” He grinned, trying to inject a lighter tone into the conversation by imitating Jakoni.

Garshaw chuckled quietly and after a few moments gathering her thoughts, explained her theory to them.

He blinked and stared at her. She had, as the Tauri say, hit the nail on the head, but she did not know what nail it was. He sighed, turned on his back, and laid one hand on his forehead as he had a hasty internal discussion with Jakoni.

~What do I say, Jakoni? She has already solved half of the mystery.~

*I don’t know, Selmak. On the one hand, we can tell them and have Sammi give us the cold shoulder for weeks on end. On the other hand, we can not tell them and have Garshaw and Yosef give us the cold bed for months.*

~I do not believe that our choices in this particular situation should be based on which one is more important to us. They should be based on which one would do the most good, despite the temporary loss of trust or a great amount of anger.~

*I hate to say it, Sel, but you’re right. So which one is the high road?*

Selmak shrugged internally, and they laid there, trying to think of a solution. Finally, Jakoni said, *There’s more than one cat in that bag. We let out the Raindra cat, but keep the other cats inside.*

Selmak thought for a moment, then murmured, ~It would be difficult but it is possible. And our daughter would not be tempted to kill us, at least.~

Jakoni nodded and nuzzled Selmak, “You tell Garshaw. I’ll take the heat from Sammi when we talk to her.”

With a brief wave of thanks to Jakoni, Selmak turned his attention to Garshaw. He gazed at her for a moment, gathering his thoughts, and then said gently, “Garshaw, it is indeed a political rift. It is difficult to explain to a Tok’ra, but I will try for you.”

“We are listening, Selmak.” She squeezed his hand and stroked her other hand along his cheek, trying to encourage him.

He paused for a few moments, thinking about incidents in the past that he wished had never happened, if for nothing else other than sparing Samika’s feelings. “She believes that the Tok’ra have very weak ties to her, and grant her no honor or rank other than that of a surviving host that never even met the rest of the Tok’ra while she was carrying one. She believed that since she does not currently carry a symbiote, she is not considered Tok’ra. We have recently corrected her perception on her Tok’ra-or-not-Tok’ra status here, but I am digressing. My point is, political clashes in the early years slowly eroded what little trust she had in the Council as they either insulted her abilities or her people. By the time of the official signing of the Earth-Tok’ra treaty, her trust was so low that the next move that the Council made would either bolster or destroy it.”

“She was quite happy when the Tok’ra chose to enter into an official Alliance with her people. If it had gone smoothly,” he shrugged, “Things would be different now. But it did not, and Raindra was killed by her hand in an effort to save the Alliance and also him from dying a horrible death.”

He sighed and continued, “You must understand that Sammi does not take her ties to the Tok’ra lightly. It was difficult for her to deal with Raindra’s passing. In her view, however, the Tok’ra take her ties to them lightly and care very little for her. To her, we appear to have forgotten that she carries Jolinar’s memories, and that her ties to us are as strong as ever. Raindra was Jolinar’s _kayatalhia_ , and so he was Sammi’s _kayatalhia_ as well. Or, to be more accurate, he could have been, if he had been able to interact with her more frequently, and she felt that loss keenly.”

“Raindra’s death hit her hard. She was, essentially, dealing with Jolinar’s grief and her own. She did not wish his death to be in vain, so she offered to help the Tok’ra scientists study the _za’tarc_ programming, in the hopes that she could prevent future _za’tarcr_. She thought that it was the best thing that she could do in honor of Raindra. The council, however, refused her offers, seeming to regard her ties to the Tok’ra as negligible, and her need to help as annoying, at the very least. As a result,” Selmak shrugged, “She will interact with the general populace of the Tok’ra, but will avoid all Councilors except me at all costs.”

Garshaw stared at Selmak in shock and very slowly digested his words. After long moments, she rested her forehead on his chin and murmured words that Selmak thought that he would never hear her say.

“ _Ari met hassakr let_.” We have been fools.

He pulled her into his arms and gently stroked her back, murmuring, “All is not lost, my heart. It will take time, but I believe that it is possible to repair the rift.”

“I hope so.”

He nodded and kept stroking her. They stayed together in that position as he tried to comfort and reassure his mates.

Half an hour later, Kyenet rushed into their quarters, full of excitement. She had spent the past hour disseminating the information that she had gotten from Samika and spreading the good news that they had a new _ye ket matrina_. Now she had found the last two Councilors. She grinned, seeing that Selmak and Garshaw were both as naked as newborn young, knowing that they had been mating. From the amount of the scent in the air, Kyenet thought that they had been copulating rather ardently.

She frowned, however, when she saw that neither Selmak nor Garshaw were relaxed or happy. She strode to their side and sat on their bed, saying, “I do not know why you are not happy, but I am sure that you will wish to mate once again in celebration after you hear my news. It is more than we could have hoped for, Garshaw, Selmak.”

Garshaw and Selmak both sat up and leaned toward Kyenet. Garshaw demanded, “What is it, Kyenet?”

Kyenet smirked and confided, “Samika is our newest _ye ket matrina_.”


	6. Threads

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everything exists in a web, from a single naquada crystal to a Tok'ra colony.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last of the backlogged chapters. I'm working on chapter seven this weekend, so possibly sometime next week, it'll be ready. :D
> 
> Enjoy reading. Please let me know if there were any formatting issues creeping around.

_Ara amat harak aka ye ket matrinar. Aest harra aka stara, tora mest ajen. Samika est Tauri ames jara akamat ye ket matrina. Ara rareta metjar ajenek._

Samika, standing near the entrance, next to Karaen, smiled softly as her mind automatically translated the alien words.

“We always search for new tunnel crystalweavers. When a new one comes to us, it is a joy to all. Samika of Tauri has become our newest tunnel crystalweaver. We welcome her with joy.”

She turned to stare at the crowd gathered before her in the huge chamber, all of whom were cheering. This was her ‘welcome’ party, but also, she knew, her ‘ranking’ party. She was to be inducted into the Tok’ra ranks tonight and given a new rank. It was a big deal. The Tok’ra hardly ever welcomed non-blended humans into their ranks. Until they were ready to be blended, they were put to work in whatever arena was their best.

Since these tended to come from primitive worlds, they tended to be seamstresses, weavers, cooks, or hunters. Those who didn’t have skills that the Tok’ra could use were put to somewhat menial work - cleaning or maintenance. Samika considered herself extremely lucky to be ‘hired’ to work the crystals. Crystalweaving, because it was so integral to their lives, was considered a highly honored skill. Crystalweavers tended to have a status only slightly lower than that of the Councilors.

She mentally grinned at the irony. If she’d insisted on being recognized as a top scientist in several different fields right away, she’d have been ranked lower than she would be once she was through with the crystalweaving training. However, once she was through and ranked appropriately, she could easily insist on doing some more scientific work in the labs. She’d be too highly ranked for the Tok’ra to argue with, by then. And maybe, just maybe, the Tok’ra would have some kind of respect for her abilities, too, by that time.

She was startled out of her thoughts when Selmak, who was standing behind her, leaned forward and murmured, “You look striking tonight, Sammi. That dress is quite becoming.”

She smiled and looked down at her dress. She was wearing the sky blue/lavender number that Jiyayna had all but begged her to take. It fit her curves and showed off her assets very well. She blushed and murmured, “Thanks.”

He responded, shrugging, “I am glad that you chose to wear it tonight. Why do you not go and mingle? The ranking ceremony isn’t until after _quesak_.” He nodded at her in encouragement.

She grinned, “Okay. Save a seat for me at dinner, I mean, _quesak_.” She was trying to use Tok’ra language more often, in order to recall more of it. After seeing her father nod confirmation, she moved into the throng of naquada-laden Tok’ra.

It was the first time that she’d been around this many carriers of naquada, and it was as if her sixth sense, her naquada, was constantly going off. It was odd, but also comfortable somehow. As she moved through the mass of people, she had to concentrate on three things: answering the Tok’ra greetings, not running into people, and trying to sift through the hundreds of naquada frequencies that she was picking up from the carriers around her.

While she was talking to one of the Tok’ra, she felt a touch on her shoulder and turned to see Kyenet and Cailye standing there. She grinned and said, “Hey.”

Kyenet chuckled and murmured, “Greetings. Come, Samika. You must meet the other crystalweavers, and they are rather eager to meet you.” She indicated the general direction of the group with her hand. Sending an apologizing glance to the Tok’ra that she’d been talking to, Samika followed Kyenet as she gently took her wrist and led her through the crowd to one of the walls.

Samika saw that there were four Tok’ra standing together in a group. They were wearing their uniforms. She recognized Traleye, who was talking to a young woman with long brunette hair and striking blue eyes. The other two were males, both Asian in heritage, bearing black hair and black eyes.

Traleye heard them coming and turned, grinning as he murmured, “Samika. You look _very_ attractive.” He gave her a look that indicated if she wished to bed someone tonight, he was available.

She smiled and shook her head, “You keep me too busy for that, Traleye. Besides, I think that Lantash and Malek would raise... concerns.” She watched his expression change from one of allure to shock, and then amusement.

He laughed, “That may well be, my young _ket matrina_. It is simply that you learn so quickly, and so you are busy with new lessons always. As for Lantash and Malek,” he canted his head to one side, the Tok’ra equivalent of shrugging, “Though you are their inherited-mate, you have not yet declared any intentions of renewing the _raralker est be cor_ , the Promises of the Heart, nor have you given them the _ame’tea’yan_ , the crystal of lifemating. Therefore, you are free to pursue whatever... _satisfaction_ that you may wish. I would be very happy to provide.” He gazed at her with a flirtatious expression.

She chuckled and shook her head, remembering the earlier sessions that they’d had in the crystalweaving chamber. Traleye and Dartmel seemed to have taken a fancy to her, and kept sending her flirtatious glances, murmuring soft invitations, and taking every chance that they could to touch her. Oddly, it didn’t make her uncomfortable. Rather than break his arms, as she would’ve done to any Tauri that tried it, she’d quietly chuckled and shook her head or gently butted him in rebuke.

He wasn’t the only one to come on to her, she recalled, for there were several others - male and female alike - that had flirted with her, and two of them had been quite forthright and requested that she grace their bed with her naked body. Her reputation for adapting quickly to Tok’ra customs in regards to the body had sped through the _ilanat’mesa_ like wildfire, and apparently, many of the Tok’ra found her quite attractive. She had suitors right and left, and it was making Martouf, Lantash, Kalentri, and Malek - the rightful inherited-mates - rather irritated, but as she hadn’t said anything about what she wanted to do with her love life, they couldn’t do anything about it - except pursue her. Passionately.

She grinned as she remembered the latest conquest that Malek and Lantash had made. They’d cornered her in the pools a few mornings ago and kissed her very passionately. She had almost let them go further, deeply immersed in their kisses and caresses, but a group of Tok’ra had come into the pools for a bath of their own.

The group had encouraged them to continue, but she’d been too embarrassed to let it go on. She’d pushed Lantash and Malek away gently and told them that she wasn’t quite up to it yet. They’d sighed, nuzzled her, and then started washing her, murmuring that it was all right.

She turned her attention back to Traleye and murmured, “As much fun as that would be, Tra, I’d like to settle down here first before I take someone to my bed, all right?” She gazed at him with an expression of compassion and understanding, with a tinge of sexual interest mixed in. He was very handsome and mouthwatering.

He nodded in respect of her wishes and turned to his female companion, “Samika, this is Kerali and her host Terazi.” He nodded to the two other males and murmured, “And this is Sorainar and his host Barjan. The other is Jaara and his host Davaln. They are all crystalweavers; the only ones left alive from this base, other than Cailye and myself.”

Samika nodded to them, “Pleased to meet you all.”

Terazi stepped forward and grinned, “I am so happy that you have come - and that you are female. There is a competition three times every _kali_ to see who can produce the very best crystal. It is always male against female, and at last, the numbers of male to female is equal.” She brought her hands together in happiness.

Samika chuckled, replying, “Well, I’ll try my best to help you guys out. I might learn quickly, but I don’t think that I quite equal your skill yet.”

“Regardless,” Sorainar spoke smoothly, “Given your speed in learning, we are sure that you will be skilled enough for the next competition.”

Samika changed the direction of her gaze, brought it to rest on Sorainar’s host, and chuckled softly, “And when is the next competition?”

He smiled, “In three _ruyr_.”

She almost choked and weakly muttered, “Only three months? I have a lot of work to do.”

Kyenet chuckled and reassured her, “I am sure that you will already have been working the _tikamala_ for quite some time by then, Samika.”

She turned to glance at Kyenet and whispered, “I hope so.”

The group had a good chuckle at her expense, then seemingly as one, they stepped very close to her and each took his or her turn at nuzzling her. Davaln, the last to nuzzle her, said softly, “I am sure that you will do well, Samika. Welcome to the clan of the crystalweavers.”

She smiled again and moved deeper into the tight circle around her, nuzzling each Tok’ra in turn, “Thanks.”

It was all that needed to be said. True to a crystalweaver’s nature, Samika was threading new friends into her life and expanding her family.

******

Samika groaned in pleasure as she sank into the warm water. The one thing that she’d come to love about Tok’ra life very quickly was the warm pools - and how frequently the Tok’ra used them. Not for cleaning, but for relaxing and washing away the stresses of the day. The “community center” aspect was taking a bit of getting used to, but she was gradually becoming accustomed to even that part of the culture.

It wasn’t long before she fell into a light doze, exhausted by the day’s activities. After the “welcome party”, there had been the _quesak_ , which was actually a moderate feast. She’d eaten so much that she thought that she wouldn’t be able to eat another bite for two days. The food had been that delicious.

After everyone was stuffed from the _quesak_ , the ranking ceremony had taken place, and she was officially inducted into the ranks of the Tok’ra. She was now of the _azilan_ rank, the second lowest rank in the crystalweavers’ department. Technically, she should have been given the _azilanae_ rank, which was the lowest, but the Council had thought that given her rapid progress, it would be best to award her the _azilan_ rank now and save the trouble of promoting her in a very short time.

During a discussion at the _quesak_ , Selmak had told her that there were five more ranks; _azilara, azimara, azimike, azijara_ , and _aziket. Aziket_ was the highest rank possible for a crystalweaver; at the moment, Cailye and Kyenet held that rank. All the others were of the _azijara_ rank. He was sure that Samika would become _azijara_ within the year. She had laughed at that point and told him that it was unlikely.

He’d simply gazed at her, and then ate his fill of _ramja_ , bread rolls with a fruit sauce.

After the ranking ceremony, she’d gone straight to the pools, having had enough of crowds. Crowds always made her uncomfortable; she’d much rather fiddle with technology. Or soak in a nice medium-sized pool of very warm water.

She was so exhausted that she didn’t even sense Lantash approaching the pools or feel the waves that he made as he silently entered the pool. He settled on the same ledge that she was sitting on, about two feet from her. He sighed and leaned back, admiring her beauty as he thought of the past few days.

He had throughly enjoyed sleeping with her during her first night here, though she had been too worn out for him to even consider attempting to mount her. He had simply gathered her into his arms and held her close as she snuggled deeper into his body for warmth and comfort. In the morning, he was quite pleased when she woke up in his arms and, upon realizing what position she was in, chuckled quietly.

He had chuckled as well, and inquired, “What amuses you, my Sammi?”

She had smiled and answered, “This has got to be the most comfortable position that I’ve ever woken up in.”

He would have replied with a witty repartee, but a soldier had come just then, and summoned him to one of the outlying wings. There was a problem that had to be taken care of, and it could not wait. He had sighed and told Samika that he would see her later. She had nodded and told him that she would see him in the pools later if he could make it.

He had not made it. Problems, both major and minor, had cropped up all day, and by the time that he returned, the colony’s newest crystalweaver was asleep in their bed. He had sighed and joined her, gathering her into his arms and treasuring even that gentle contact.

He had been called away to another base to confer with that base’s commander a few days ago, and had returned barely in time to watch her ranking ceremony today. He was surprised to see that she was ranked as an _azilan_ instead of _azilanae_. He had been trying to reach her to offer his congratulations when he saw her quietly escape through one of the chamber entrances. He had followed her here and realizing that she was tired after the day’s events, chosen to be quiet for a few minutes and allow her some rest.

Samika yawned and stretched as she looked around to see what had woken her from her nap. She spied Lantash sitting no more than two feet from her and gazing at her with affection and more than a small measure of sexual interest.

Startled, she’d had to consciously suppress her instinct to cover herself up with her arms. Keeping her hands on the pool wall, she smiled shyly at him and asked, “Hey. So, uh, haven’t seen you in a while.”

Lantash thought that she would be more comfortable with Martouf, so he yielded to him and let him speak. The moment that Martouf took control, he answered, “Yes, we have not had time to see one another. For this, we apologize. There were problems in this base the day after you arrived, and then I had a pre-arranged meeting with another base commander for the past few days. I only just now returned from that mission.”

He scooted closer to her and grinned at her, continuing, “Such is the life of a base sub-commander. I hope that you have adapted well to our culture. We were very glad to hear that you have become a _ye ket matrina_. What have you managed to do in the lab so far, Sammi?”

She shifted her gaze to stare at the shimmering water and murmured, “Well, uh, I’m working the _cimala_ now. I can produce eight patterns on it already, and Traleye thinks that I’ll be ready for the _tikamala_ soon.”

He grinned, “That is excellent, Sammi. You are learning very rapidly.” He reached out and brushed aside a few strands of her hair, and then trailed his fingers down her cheek and paused there. “I had a feeling that you would have the ability to weave the crystals, but I did not think that you would be so skilled at it. I am glad to be mistaken this time.”

Samika grinned again and, not really able to think of anything else to say, started to flick the water with her index finger.

“You are so beautiful.”

She jerked her head up and glanced at him. She chuckled softly when she saw his adoring expression. “Thanks, glad that you think – ”

He had brought his other hand up and cupped her face. Cutting off her words as he kissed her deeply, he groaned in sheer pleasure. Finally! Normally, when a Tok’ra returned from off-base trips, her or his mates greeted him and they would mount one another almost immediately to vent built-up sexual energy. He had restrained himself this time, wanting Samika to be the one to help him release his passion.

He felt her gradually relax beneath him and risked moving one hand away from her face in order to caress her body. Hardly a minute went by before she brought one hand up and started to gently caress his neck. She began to participate more ardently in the encounter, kissing him ardently and reaching around his back to stroke his spine.

He moaned and pushed her against the pool wall, desperate now to be deep inside of her. He moved the other hand to her hair, stroking it gently at first, but then speeding up as his passion escalated, and finally simply holding her head as he kissed her passionately. As he eagerly maneuvered himself to stand between her legs, he broke the kiss and tried to position her body better for an easier entrance.

The brief respite from the drugging kisses helped her to clear her head. As she realized what they were about to do, she groaned and straightened up, forcing him out of between her legs. As he reluctantly withdrew, she sighed, “Martouf... I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have let it go that far.”

Panting, he bit out, “Why not? You were enjoying it, as were we.” He stared at her closed legs and decided that it was no barrier to him. He moved forward and climbed onto her lap. By placing each leg on one side of her and kneeling on his knees, he was able to get close to her again. As he crawled closer to her body and let his shaft rub her belly, he returned his hands to her face and stroked her cheeks gently.

She gasped as he literally climbed on her and then sighed as his caresses became gentle rather than passionate. Putting her hands on his chest to remind him of her limits, she murmured, “I know. I just... I don’t know how to explain it, Martouf. I’m sorry.”

He considered her for a moment, then replied softly, “I will not understand unless you try, Sammi.” He kept stroking her cheeks, trying to encourage her.

She nodded and focused her gaze on her hands where they laid against his smooth chest. After a few minutes, she sighed again and said, “Okay. I guess that the best way to explain it is to... uh...”

Stopping for a moment to gather her thoughts, she expelled a sigh and then started again, “I always had this idea of what I wanted in a husband – a lifemate. As I grew up on Tauri, my ideas changed, of course, but there’s always been a few constants. I want a man that’s caring and sweet, but also passionate and fierce. I’m a warrior; I appreciate protectiveness in a guy, but I don’t want one that thinks that I can’t protect myself. I’m afraid there’s a lot of those on Tauri.”

She paused and gently stroked his chest as she gathered her thoughts into a coherent statement. “I want a lifemate that’s a really great lover in bed, but also one that doesn’t mind me being, uh, dominant in bed sometimes. It’s not a usual trait in Tauri women, and since my blending with Jolinar, it’s, uh, more intense.”

Staring at his chest, she stopped, and then started again, “I used to want a monogamous husband, but now that I have all these memories from Jolinar, I just... I remember what it was like for her to have two lifemates and two co-mates. She loved you so much, Martouf, and Malek, too. Jiya and Remika were so close to her. I used to think that a monogamous marriage was the best way to go, but... I don’t know. I guess that seeing the kind of life that Jolinar had and the kind of support and love that she got from her little family made me want that, too.”

“I keep wondering what it would be like to have two men around me in bed... two people to talk to and share my life with. Not only that, but there’s the co-mate angle, too. I want to see what it’s like to have a bond to another woman, and have that be so strong,” she chuckled quietly, “that it’s possible to actually share a man with her. You already have that kind of bond with Malek and Kalentri, and I’d sort of like to have that, too. Unfortunately, my Tauri background has given me some pretty strong traits such as possessiveness and aversion to sharing.”

She shook her head to clear her head of memories and continued, “Enough on that subject. What else do I want? Oh, yeah, someone who doesn’t mind that I’m half Tok’ra. Who doesn’t mind that I operate alien devices and can kill with a ribbon device. Plenty of Tauri have problems with _that_. I want someone that will hold me in the night when I wake up screaming from a thousand-year-old nightmare, or make love to me when I wake up panting from a sex dream about one of Jolinar’s mates from five or six hundred years ago.”

She stopped and risked a glance at Martouf’s face. He was watching her quietly, and the only emotions that she could see in his expression were affection and some confusion. She gave a small smile and returned her gaze to her hands on his chest. It was easier to talk if she didn’t stare into his eyes. This was more emotional than she usually got with anyone, and it was making her thoroughly uncomfortable.

Taking one hand and scratching the back of her neck, she exhaled and continued, “I want a lifemate that will respect me, my - my skills and intelligence. At the end of the day, I want to be able to sit down and talk to my husband about anything and everything without it going over his head. I want - I guess that I just want a loving lifemate that respects me, too.”

As she finished her long speech, she stared at his chest for a few moments longer, then almost reluctantly removed her hands and shifted her gaze to the water’s surface, not really wanting to see his reaction.

Martouf and Lantash were surprised at her revelations and were not sure what to do to reassure her. After a brief internal discussion, they decided to tackle it subject by subject. Stroking her cheeks, Martouf began, “Sammi, I sense that you have sought a mate with all those qualities and found none thus far?” He watched her nod slowly and continued, “You stated that you wish a mate that is loving and sweet, yet passionate and fierce? You will have little trouble finding that here. All Tok’ra are passionate and fierce, and most are loving towards their chosen mates. Many of us are also sweet when we wish to be.”

“I know.”

“As for the protectiveness factor, no Tok’ra would be stupid enough to think that you cannot defend yourself. You are Selmak’s daughter and a warrior.”

She broke out in a full smile at his words and quickly nuzzled him. When she withdrew, she saw that he was grinning widely and his eyes were sparkling. She giggled, “What’s made you so pleased?”

“You gave me a small token of affection. I rather enjoyed it.” He moved his hands to her arms and started to run them up and down. His gaze on her was rock-steady, and she had to look down to escape their intensity.

He cleared his throat to continue, “As for the Tok’ra’s sexual habits, I believe that you recall by now from Jolinar that we are excellent lovers. As for your sexual prowess, we are glad to hear that you are dominant occasionally. Most Tok’ra prefer dominant, active mates in bed. In fact, many of us demand that our lifemates be able to take a leading role in sexual activity.”

He grinned as he leaned forward and nuzzled her, gathering her close to him. As his body rubbed alongside hers, he whispered into her ear, “We can assure you that we _enjoy_ it when our lifemates take control of our mating.”

As Samika blushed and stammered a reply, he chuckled softly and simply held her until she recovered. A few minutes later, she relaxed and sighed, “I think that you aren’t finished talking, so...”

He nodded and leaned back, preparing to begin the sensitive conversation again. He moved one hand back to her cheek and stroked as he spoke, “It must be difficult for you to adapt to our marriage practices. Most of our hosts also come from other worlds similar to yours. I must say that you have adapted much more readily to many of our practices, including bathing with others in a public pool, than many of our hosts.”

She nodded and reminded him, “I’ve had several years of living with the memories. That’s why I was able to adapt so quickly, Martouf. Very little of what I’ve seen during my time here was a surprise to me.”

He grinned and murmured, “A most fortunate event. I suppose that we expected you to adapt equally rapidly to our mating system.” He looked at her and sighed, “You have adapted somewhat, have you not? You are curious, but not disgusted. It is only that your possessive trait is so strong that you _must_ form a co-mate’s bond with the females in your chosen lifemates’ family first. Rather unusual, as it tends to occur the other way around. Regardless, we do have rituals for that. You would wish to speak to Jiyayna about those, if you are interested. She would be quite pleased to assist.”

He watched her as she hesitated, and then said, “All right. I’ll keep that in mind. I’m not in any hurry to get a lifemate. I’d really rather settle down here first.”

He nuzzled her, and then nodded, realizing that not only did she have to overcome the barrier of finding a suitable mate, she also had to find a co-mate that she actually could bond with first. She must not have anyone in mind at the moment. That she did not have Jiyayna or Remika in mind already rankled them, but he reluctantly acknowledged that a few days really was not enough time to decide. She had not even met Remika yet; she was not due back from her mission until tomorrow afternoon.

He started stroking her cheeks again as he continued, “This, I understand. It is easier to begin a new relationship when all other aspects of your life are stable, is it not?” At her nod, he went on, “In regards to the uneasiness of humans around you due to your Tok’ra abilities, we did not realize that you were having trouble with this. Are Tauri males truly this foolish?”

She chuckled softly, “Most of those that know about the Gate, yes. Daniel’s actually the only one that I know of that doesn’t really mind the Tok’ra stuff that I can do, but even he has his limits.”

He considered her statement for a few minutes, then nodded, “I see. Nevertheless, your Tok’ra abilities are quite welcome here. You will not be shunned from our society simply because you can - or cannot - operate certain devices.” As he paused to listen to advice from Lantash, he moved one hand from her cheek to her arm and gently ran it up and down, trying to reassure her in any way that he could.

After a few moments, Lantash came forward himself and said, “As for needing someone to comfort and tend to your needs at night, I would be pleased to do that for you, and I am certain that many other Tok’ra here would, as well. You need only to ask.”

He looked at her with hope in his blue-grey eyes. The more that he learned of her, the more he fell in love with her, and he was almost desperate to be able to show affection for her - any kind of affection. Now that he was certain that she had no qualms about taking a symbiote/host pair as a mate, he hoped to get their relationship to move beyond the friendship stage.

She grinned, “Ah, Lantash, um, thanks for that offer. I’ll keep it in mind.” She wasn’t sure if she’d take him up on that offer. She’d been fortunate so far. All Jolinar had been giving her to dream about lately were small pieces of her life - her favorite foods, playing in the pools, listening to the _ilanat’mesa_ , talking to her co-mates.

She’d gleaned two more crystalweaving patterns from her recent dreams, thanks to a memory from Jolinar’s life with Harajar, her only crystalweaver host. The other patterns that she now knew had come to her when she’d seen them in the holographic device. The sight had triggered certain memories associated with these patterns.

Samika hoped that she wouldn’t have to go through any sexual dreams for a while. She wanted to be more acquainted with her roommates before they got to watch her writhe around, in the grips of a very passionate dream. It was a rather intimate thing, and she didn’t want to share that with anyone else right now.

She looked down and placed her hands on his sides. Lantash sensed that she was finished with her personal thoughts, though he would have very much liked to know what she was thinking of, and was now ready to listen to him once more.

“Regarding your desire to find a lifemate that appreciates your intelligence and respects you, this is also no problem within the tunnels.” He kissed her softly and withdrew, “I, for one, greatly admire your intelligence and respect you. The other Tok’ra do, as well.”

He was surprised when the sparkling blue eyes that he was so adoringly gazing into turned from shy curiosity to skeptic in a matter of seconds. Frowning, he anxiously inquired, “What is the matter, Sammi? What disturbs you?”

She murmured, “I, ah, I wouldn’t know about that, Lantash.” Quickly averting her eyes to the water’s surface, she shrugged one shoulder.

“Why do you doubt my statements?”

“The Tok’ra have always been particularly... vocal about their opinion of Tauri intellect. None of it was good.”

Lantash’s countenance remained in a frown as he thought back to his visits on Earth and other Tauri-Tok’ra interactions that he had seen. He winced slightly as the memories of those occasions flashed by; none of them had a lack of Tok’ra insults. Most of them spoken in his precious inherited-mate’s presence.

And the Tok’ra wondered why the Tauri did not enjoy their company? In a flash of insight, he realized why Samika had kept the Tok’ra at a distance, not allowing closer bonds until now. Many of the insults had been directed at her team, and therefore, her, or at the Tauri in general, of which she was one.

“I see.” He gazed at her, uncertain as to what to say or do to alleviate her discomfort and obviously injured pride. Martouf made a suggestion, which he followed by saying gently, “Sammi, these...opinions were never directed at you. I can assure you of that.”

She glanced up at him with an expression that was doubtful. He opened his mouth to say more, but closed it as he realized that he could think of nothing that would change her mind, particularly given that she had received exactly the impression that the Tok’ra had been trying to give to the Tauri.

Their standoff was interrupted by Malek. He had just walked into the bathing pool chamber, intending to get a bath of his own before bed. His glance shifted between the two occupants of the nearest pool as he inquired, “What is the matter?”

Lantash looked at Malek balefully and explained, “We were discussing Sammi’s requirements in a lifemate. Unfortunately, she seems to believe that the Tok’ra cannot fulfil one of them.”

Malek raised his eyebrows and shifted his gaze to Samika, “Really?” He canted his head, now immensely curious, “And which requirement would that be?”

Lantash sighed, “Intelligence and respect. She believes that the Tok’ra do not consider her among the more intelligent beings in the universe, as well as having very little respect for her. I was trying to refute that statement when you arrived.”

Malek walked to them and laid his arms on the pool’s rim as Samika watched him, wondering what he would say about the issue. After staring at her for a few minutes, he dropped his head onto his arms and gazed at the rippling of the water.

Five minutes later, he raised his head and eyed her. He cleared his throat and stated, “I will admit that the Tok’ra consider the Tauri as a – ” he paused, searching for the appropriate word, “A species of lesser intellect. However, that is not to say that we do not recognize that they have their own unique gifts to offer. We appreciate that the Tauri occasionally sprout some intelligent humans.”

His expression softened when he graced her with a grin. Canting his head, he continued, “I recall a certain scientist from the Tauri, whom I met on the forested slopes of Tiyan. Even with an invisible enemy in our midst, she determined my plan before I finished two sentences on the subject. No other but her could understand the technology and had the skill required to carry it out successfully.”

He moved closer and nuzzled her neck softly, “It was then that I knew that the Goa’uld and the Tok’ra had severely underestimated the intelligence of at least one Tauri.”

She blushed deeply and muttered, “So Tiyan’s what you call the planet that Alpha was on when you came to us after Risa fell?”

“Yes,” he said as he continued nuzzling her. She smelled sweet, a mix of the essence that was her own and _kelinya_ , her favorite Tok’ra bath oil. He could not wait for the moment that she would let him scent her, bury his face between her legs, and taste her.

Lantash grinned at the picture that the two of them made. Samika was so beautiful when she was pleased. He leaned in and joined Malek in nuzzling her. He wanted, as Jakoni often said, “in on the action”.

Samika blushed and hesitated, before deciding to simply sit quietly and savor the sweet attention. She had plenty of Tok’ra trying to get into bed with her, admittedly, but it was rare to have them just be with her and nuzzle her like this. Like any other Tok’ra, she _needed_ this kind of closeness.

She moaned as Lantash started to kiss her while Malek’s mouth paid deeper attention to her neck. For a few blissful moments, she forgot about where she was, how she got there, and everything else. All she knew were the four men around her - Lantash, Martouf, Malek, and Kalentri. She let them enjoy her for a while, then sighed as she came to her senses and pushed Lantash away.

“As much as I want sex, I... I’m sorry, Lantash. There’s too much history between us. It would be way too easy to unintentionally - or even intentionally - develop a relationship.” She gazed deep into his eyes, trying to make him understand.

“And at the moment, you are not certain that you wish a Tok’ra lifemate. I wish that you were not so uncertain, but I can understand this.” He sighed, and then glanced at Malek, perking up as a thought came to him, “But Malek... you will take Malek and Kalentri to your bed? Yes, you will take them in my place. This is agreeable?”

She looked at Malek, who was staring at her with undisguised hope in his brown eyes. _Well_ , she thought, _Malek and Kalentri are attractive and I know that they’re great in bed. They’re caring, and Malek actually thinks that I’m smart. There isn’t enough history between us for a relationship to inadvertently develop. I know them well enough, thanks to Jolinar, and... well, why not? They’re a great lay, that’s for sure!_

“All right.” She nodded in acceptance. Lantash laughed in delight; now he and Martouf would get all kinds of sexual information on Samika from Malek and Kalentri, and a relationship - though only sexual in nature - would only help him secure a relationship of his own with her.

It would speed the process of cementing what Jolinar had started so long ago: blending Samika into their family.

Malek grinned broadly and grabbed her face, kissing her passionately. When they finally separated, he gazed adoringly into her eyes for a few minutes before muttering to himself and shedding his clothes, ignoring where he tossed them. He jumped into the pool with her and practically plastered himself to her side, murmuring, “You said that you wanted sex. I would be happy to give you that now.”

She laughed softly as she kissed his cheek and replied, “So I did. Come here, Tok’ra...” As they locked lips and began exploring each other, Lantash quietly got out of the pool and dried off. As much as he would love to watch, he knew that though she tolerated observers, she far preferred privacy. He would get the details from Malek later.

For now, he would leave the lovers in peace and retire to his chambers. His dreams tonight would include one beautiful woman and his beloved co-mate. He was glad that she had finally started to weave some lovers into her life, even though his thread was not included... yet.


End file.
